Rugby: Flavell bids Blues au revoir

Far from fending off overtures from New Zealand franchises, Troy Flavell is instead heading to France. Photo / Getty Images

Desperate to play in New Zealand, Troy Flavell will instead pack his bags for France after he failed to convince the Blues he would be ideal cover for the injured Ali Williams.

The 22-test veteran recently returned from a two-year stint in Japan, where his light workload left him in the best physical condition of his career.

The 33-year-old - who is just six months older than Victor Matfield - wanted to finish his playing days here and hadn't entirely given up on pushing for a 2011 World Cup place.

Flavell's former province, North Harbour, took little convincing the lock-cum-blindside was capable of playing a critical leadership role in their ITM Cup campaign.

Harbour offered him a contract and were hopeful the Blues might do the same to bolster the value of the deal. Provincial deals are capped at $60,000 under the player collective, although there is room to offer two players up to $90,000.

If the Blues had wanted Flavell, they would have instructed the New Zealand Rugby Union to make an offer. The market rate for a player of Flavell's experience and age would be anything between $100,000 and $200,000.

With an NZRU contract and certainty he would be playing for the Blues, Flavell would have stayed. Instead, the Blues were undecided whether they wanted Flavell, leaving the door open for Bayonne - a Top 14 side with ambition to return to their former glory.

The Basque club are believed to have made a one year offer that is comparable with what Flavell might have received from a combined Harbour and NZRU deal.

Having put off Bayonne for several weeks in the hope of an offer from the Blues, Flavell is now ready to commit.

Blues coach Pat Lam has used Anthony Boric, Kurtis Haiu and Filo Paulo this year and is likely to have all three available again next year.

Williams remains committed to the Blues but there is no guarantee, following yet more surgery on his Achilles tendon, that he will be fit by the start of next year's campaign.

Flavell, arguably, could have been a handy man to have had in the squad. He is a former Blues captain and is recognised as one of the toughest characters in the sport.

His game is built around his physicality and athleticism and the current law interpretations have played into his hands - he's a ball-carrying player able to cover the field.

His value might not have been as a starting player but rather a seasoned campaigner who could come off the bench or start five or six games in a much longer campaign.

With his experience, he'd have been ideal to help out against the bigger, more physical South African sides.

"We are disappointed he has not stayed in New Zealand," said North Harbour chief executive Brett Hollister.

"He would have been very helpful in the development of some of our younger players."