Retired France flyhalf Frederic Michalak will return to Toulon in December in charge of “individual player development”, the French club announced on Monday.

Michalak (39) has been assisting Australian rugby-league side Sydney Roosters since January.

He spent four seasons on the Mediterranean coast between 2012-16, winning three straight European Cups.

He made 77 Test appearances for Les Bleus and had spells with Toulouse and Lyon as well as with the Sharks in South Africa before retiring as a player in 2018.

At Stade Mayol, Michalak will work with Cheslin Kolbe, the Springboks’ World Cup winner who joined from Toulouse earlier this season but has yet to make his Toulon debut due to a knee injury.

“Toulon are a big club, with an element of madness which I was lucky to experience as a player,” Michalak said in a club statement, which did not mention the length of his contract.

“Being a club consultant to push towards high performance and personal accomplishment, are challenges that motivate me.

“I will step in on the individual performance development of players, an important subject in modern rugby,” he added.

The Top 14 outfit have won just two out of their opening seven league games and were whistled off the field after Saturday’s home defeat by Racing 92.

This weekend they head to last season’s league and European runners-up La Rochelle.

© Agence France-Presse

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