Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle linked with Pau fly-half Antoine Hastoy

Pau's French fly-half Antoine Hastoy. Photo by Gaizka Iroz / AFP

La Rochelle are believed to have won the race for the signature of France fly-half Antoine Hastoy, after current club Pau confirmed their playmaker’s departure.

Hastoy, who made his international debut on Les Bleus' July tour of Australia, had been linked with a number of Top 14 clubs, despite having a year left on his deal with the Bearn club, where he has played since he was a boy.

It is believed that he exercised an exit clause on his contract, despite a lucrative extension offer with new head coach Sebastien Piqueronies keen to build a team around the 24-year-old.

In a statement issued by the club, Hastoy was quoted as saying: “This season will be my last [with Pau]. This decision was difficult to take and I hope that it will be understood by all. Today, after 11 years at the club, I feel the need for another challenge and to take this new step, I have to get out of my comfort zone.” 

Reports say that Hastoy has signed a three-year deal with O'Gara's ambitious Atlantic coast club, who seem set for a recruiting spree ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

On Saturday, Hastoy scored all his side’s points as Pau beat Lyon 21-17 at Stade du Hameau, despite losing Lekima Tagitagivalu to a red card for a dangerous tackle after 25 minutes.

Even after grabbing Hastoy from under the noses of the likes of Montpellier, Clermont, and Racing 92, La Rochelle coach O’Gara is expected to continue his hunt for a goalkicking 10.

Both the club’s current senior fly-halves, Ihaia West and Jules Plisson, are out of contract at the end of the current campaign and it has been reported that neither will be retained as O’Gara looks for more consistent goalkicking. Plisson missed several kicks against Toulouse in the Top 14 season opener and West was no more accurate last weekend against Racing 92.

The coach is also said to be chasing 23-year-old Racing playmaker Antoine Gibert, who had the upper hand against West when the two sides met at La Defense Arena on Saturday.

The Top 14 fly-half market is set to be busy this year. Lyon’s Leo Berdeu, Toulouse’s Zack Holmes, Toulon’s Anthony Belleau, and Castres’ Benjamin Urdapilleta are all out of contract at the end of the season, while Bordeaux’s Francois Trinh-Duc has already confirmed that he is to retire in June.

Urdapilleta, who will be 36 at the end of the campaign, may decide to join Trinh-Duc and team-mate Rory Kockott in hanging up his boots but has yet to confirm his future plans.

Meanwhile, Clermont, with JJ Hanrahan impressing in his first two Top 14 outings, may be persuaded to part ways with Camille Lopez next season and activate the optional second year of the former Munster player’s contract, reports have suggested.

And Montpellier are said to be considering whether to release Handre Pollard from his mega-money deal a year early. Teenager Louis Foursans has repeatedly stepped up when called on, and with Paolo Garbisi also joining the club this summer, Philippe Saint-Andre is said to be considering whether Pollard is a luxury he no longer has to afford.