Rugby: Players leap to defence of former All Blacks winger Julian Savea after controversial comments

Rugby stars past and present have come out in support of Julian Savea after he was slammed by Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal.

According to French publication RMC Sport, the Toulon owner made some explosive comments about Savea following the side's 19-10 Top 14 defeat to Agen last week.

"I'm going to ask for a DNA test. They must have swapped him on the plane [when he joined from the Hurricanes last year]. If I were him I would apologise and go back to my home country," Mourad Boudjellal told French radio RMC.

"I've told him that he was free to go and wasn't welcome at Toulon any more," he added.

Those comments led to Savea's wife hitting back at Boudjellal, before Savea himself responded.

"Whether I am welcomed or not I am still contracted to my team and I will continue to train week in and week out with my brothers," Savea tweeted.

Putting all the negativity behind me and heading into this week with a positive attitude🤘🏾whether I am welcomed or not I am still contracted to my team and I will continue to train week in and week out with my brothers #endofstory #letsmoveon pic.twitter.com/y7QBqLOyVV

— Julian Savea (@juliansavea7) February 17, 2019

The saga has also led to several players speaking out in support of Savea. Former English test player Andy Goode and former Wallaby star Drew Mitchell were the strongest, with Goode saying that Boudjellal needed to "wind [his] neck in", while Mitchell said his comments will hurt Toulon.

"This type of carry on from [Boudjellal] won't exactly entice other players to play for [Toulon]," Mitchell wrote on social media. "Business or not, you just don't treat [people] like this."

To that, Savea's All Black brother Ardie replied: "F*****g Amen."

Former Chiefs, Blues, Toulon and Samoa halfback Junior Poluleuligaga said he was "not surprised" by Boudjellal's comments.

"In 2008 he spoke to us in the changing [room] after a captains run and threatened to cut all our contracts if we didn't win that game to gain automatic promo[tion] to Top 14," he tweeted.

"In the same [room] were legends like [George] Gregan, [Victor] Matfield, [Anton] Oliver + [Andrew] Mehrtens."

Several other players tweeted their support of Savea.

❤️❤️❤️ love you Uso 🔥 👋🏽👊🏽👋🏽👊🏽

— Jerome Kaino (@jeromekaino) February 18, 2019

❤️ you got this 👌🏾 https://t.co/amUo9RB3qV

— Linda itunu (@LItunu) February 18, 2019

💯 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/dV2WQkg42I

— Cory Jane (@CoryJane1080) February 18, 2019

Savea has scored one try in 10 matches with Toulon, who currently sit 11th on the table with six wins from their opening 16 games.

Savea's former Hurricanes teammate Nehe Milner-Skudder looks set to replace him at Toulon next season having signed a three-year deal.