Jonathan Sexton was given a goldfish to mind as part of an initiation process for the newbies at Racing Metro 92. He was then directed to eat it, a death sentence commuted on the advice of the club doctor, much to the relief of the Ireland and Lions outhalf.

The goldfish has presumably been returned to his bowl, an image with which the 28-year- old might come to identify given the scrutiny he’ll face in his debut season following a high -profile move to France from Leinster.

Tomorrow evening in La Rochelle – Racing Metro elected to move their home match there because many Parisians take their holidays in August – he’ll make his competitive debut against Brive on the opening weekend of the French Top 14 Championship, having enjoyed 40 minutes against Aviva Premiership side, Harlequins, eight days ago.

Aidan McCullen empathises with and understands the challenges Sexton faces albeit adding the rider that his move to Toulouse in2005, coincidentally also as a 28-year-old, was appreciably different.

Even though he had played at underage international level for Ireland, won a senior cap against Samoa (2003) and represented Leinster over 60 times, his arrival in Toulouse was a footnote rather than one commandeering banner headlines. It wasn’t his first experience of French rugby as he’d played with Dax as a 20-year-old.



The disparity

McCullen was courted by Clermont Auvergne (pre Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt) and Toulouse but the disparity in the welcome he received in the two places made the decision straightforward.

Toulouse, were warm, open and welcoming, manifest in so many personal touches; they genuinely wanted him to join the club, while Clermont’s Jean Marc Lhermet, whom he had played against with Leinster, was more preoccupied with why he wanted to leave Leinster. He agreed a one-year deal with Toulouse.

Now head of Digital for Communicorp Group and an analyst on the French Top 14 for Setanta Sports, McCullen, 36, points out that no matter how mentally tough a player is, there is an acclimatisation period, and that happiness off the pitch is central to an ability to focus on the rugby.

“Johnny’s been signed as the lynchpin of the Racing Metro team on a salary the club believes is commensurate with his ability. There is no doubt that they will get their pound of flesh in terms of game time.

“The commitments are relentless. The set-up is very professional, the training high-quality but French clubs don’t tend to rotate their foreign players as much.

“I fairness to the IRFU they look after the home-based players very well in terms of limiting game-time and rehabilitating injuries. In France if you get injured there is huge pressure to get back quickly. It doesn’t all come from the club. As a player, settling into a new environment, you want to be at the hub of things, not watching at a distance. It can leave you feeling isolated.



Injured players

“I remember a former team-mate of mine and ex-Leinster defence coach, Kurt McQuilkin used to refer to injured players when we were away on tour as ‘food bills’. If a club has invested heavily financially they want you on the pitch. The old culture in French rugby that would see some of the bigger clubs rest many of their front-line players for away trips to the smaller clubs, has changed with the influx of foreign coaches, like Vern Cotter.”

It’s also down to the influx of large numbers of foreign players who don’t understand the Gallic shrug of indifference to not overly exerting themselves away from their home pitch.

McCullen continues: “Johnny is lucky to have the two Laurents, Labit and Travers, as his coaches. They come with a brilliant reputation of getting rid of all the negative equity and fostering great values in a tight squad. He’s just come from that culture in terms of his former team-mates and Joe Schmidt. ”

McCullen also maintains that Sexton’s salary won’t be a bugbear with the supporters.



Paid less

“In my experience French people on average are paid less than their Irish counterparts yet they still retain a respect for the people that are paid well.

“While there are exceptions, they don’t begrudge, once you command their respect as a player.

“It’ll be important for Johnny to manage his downtime. It’s not like at home where you go to familiar places and see familiar faces. The French use a word, installed, to describe the settling-in process because they appreciate the need to remove any concerns or issues a foreign player has away from rugby. The best way to be assimilated is to have kids because you and your wife/partner are immediately plugged into the network. The other is to live in a small community.

“Speaking French helps in terms of lifestyle, and you certainly get more invitations for coffee or a glass of wine from your team-mates, but it can be a benefit not to speak the language when it comes to get a dressing down from a coach. Johnny’s professionalism, attitude and ability will definitely make the transition a lot easier.”

Top 14: The main contenders

CASTRES OLYMPIQUE

They reached the semi-finals of last season’s Top14 as the rank outsiders yet came away with the Bouclier de Brennus (right), beating the Heineken Cup finalists Clermont Auvergne and their conquerors at the Aviva stadium, Toulon, in the space of a week. They have lost their inspirational coaching team of Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers, French wing Marc Andreu and Joe Tekori. Serge Milhas (sacked by Biarritz) and David Darricarrere (relegated with Agen), the new coaching team, face a tough remit.

TOULON

The European champions have loosened the purse strings or rather owner Mourad Boudjellal has – raiding the Southern Hemisphere for high-profile signings Bryan Habana, Drew Mitchell and Ali Williams. They also picked up Martin Castrogiovanni and Michael Claassens from the English Premiership. They have an eminently manageable pool in the Heineken Cup so that shouldn’t distract from a desire to add the Top 14 to the trophy cabinet. Joe van Niekerk is out for three months but the squad has great depth, albeit that it is an older group.

CLERMONT AUVERGNE

They have recruited only a couple of players, Castres scrumhalf Thierry Lacrampe and New Zealander Mike Delany, currently injured. Kevin Senio, David Skrela and Anthony Floch amongst others have left and coach, Vern Cotter will be leaving at the end of the season to coach Scotland. The straight-talking Kiwi probably didn’t help matters when after failing to win the Heineken Cup, where they were appreciably the best team, he said that: “he regretted trusting some payers”. Stellar roster and wonderful team to watch but . . . . . . .



TOULOUSE

Coach Guy Noves has challenged his players to step up and honour the club and the jersey with the way they play in a pre-tournament rallying call. The ledger of arrivals and departures sees All Black Hosea Gear, Springbok Chilliboy Rallapelle and Joe Tekori wearing the rouge et noir for the first time but Jean Baptiste Poux, Yannick Jauzion, Jean Boulihou, Luke Burgess and Gary Botha have either retired or moved on elsewhere. Vincent Clerc is injured. They won’t be overly discommoded in Europe but will need to step up as a group.



RACING METRO 92

Club owner Jacky Lorenzetti didn’t scrimp when it came to wielding the chequebook, signing Jonathan Sexton, Jamie Roberts, Dan Lydiate, Soane Tonga’uiha, Brian Mujati, Juandre Kruger, Wenceslas Lauret and Marc Andreu.

The decision to sign up the former Castres coaching team of the two Laurents, Labit and Travers, long before they won last season’s Top 14 title looks very prescient. They come with a great reputation in player management and fostering morale within a squad of players.

MONTPELLIER

Former French international scrumhalf Fabien Galthie is arguably the best young coach in the country, based on the way his team plays and the manner in which he maximises the capabilities of a modest enough roster.

It has been augmented significantly this season with the signing of All Black Rene Ranger, Springbok Wynand Olivier and Scotland’s Jim Hamilton as well as French tighthead Nicholas Mas and Antony Floch.

Six to watch:

Bryan Habana

(Toulon)

A flying wing, who occasionally races cheetahs and planes in his spare time, arrives in France with the best try- scoring record in South Africa. He is a brilliant finisher, willing to leave the orthodox channels to sniff out opportunities. Signed in tandem with Wallaby winger Drew Mitchell, Habana will give his team a scalpel-sharp cutting edge.



Hosea Gear

(Toulouse)

The young brother of Rico, he won 14 caps for the All Blacks, scoring six tries, and at 29 years of age, many would argue is in his prime. He has an agreement in his two-year contract that he can return to New Zealand after one year. Powerful and very quick, he’s likely to see loads of ball the way Toulouse play.



Digby Ioane

(Stade Francais)

The Wallaby winger, who was injured in the first Test against the Lions, is a beautifully balanced runner who can step off either foot and possesses blistering pace. The fact that he can play in a number of positions might also be exploited. But the conundrum is whether he’ll see enough ball with Morne Steyn at outhalf.



Jamie Roberts

(Racing Metro)

While much of the focus will be on Jonathan Sexton at the club, the Irishman will welcome having his Lions team-mate on his shoulder and as they showed in Australia, albeit in a limited capacity, they do combine well. Roberts should guarantee his team front foot ball and with the huge Racing pack, that spells trouble for the opposition.



Rene Ranger

(Montpellier)

Following an excellent season in Super 15 rugby for the Blues was included in a wider New Zealand training squad. He was among the replacements for the first two Tests against France in the summer before starting the third and winning the last of his six caps. Can play either centre or wing.



Richie Gray

(Castres Olympique)

The Scotland and Lions international joins the French champions and he’ll be expected to be a mainstay in the pack both out of touch and in general play where his athleticism can be an attribute. He arrives to a club whose two coaches have moved to Paris and have also lost some front-line players.