Be vigilant ! Increase in attempts to impersonate Eiffage and its subsidiaries (use of fake email addresses, fraudulent websites, etc.). More details here. Inventing the future with a human perspective means continuing to grow while staying true to who we are. Maintain our balance between construction and concessions businesses  Eiffage puts at your disposal tools to facilitate your exchanges with the group. Find here all the news Eiffage Group and stay connected on our application and networks. Our Division is specializing in the installation and deployment of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, to support local authorities and businesses in their transition to more sustainable mobility. For the town of Aurillac in the Cantal department of France, our experts have equipped a number of public car parks with charging terminals. “This year, we installed e-Smart duo charging terminals, each with two charge points, in four of Aurillac's car parks. Users were thus given a total capacity of 24 three-phase 9 kW charge points and 2 single-phase 7 kW charge points,” explained Business Manager Damien Souquière. On behalf of the city, our staff installed and connected charging terminals in the following car parks: Pompidou (4 charging points commissioned in January), Fraternité (6 charging points commissioned in February), Doumer (14 charging points commissioned in March) and Hôtel de Ville (2 charging points commissioned in February). Our Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure experts formulate customized solutions for decision-makers, offering them turnkey solutions from design to installation, including charging point supply, but also terminal operation and maintenance (now incorporating supervision) and customer support, particularly when taking over an existing fleet. Another opportunity for the sprinters comes in the 203.6 km stage from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot. While the stage includes 2,200 meters of climbing, most of this is in the early part of Stage 12. As the riders approach Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the terrain flattens out, causing the breakaway group’s lead to diminish significantly. The last stage over 200 kilometers in this Tour takes the riders from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot. The first 40 kilometers are hilly, followed by a descent into Saint-Céré. From there, the peloton heads over La Ségarie to the first categorized climb of the day, the Côte d’Autoire. This fourth-category climb is 2.7 kilometers long with an average gradient of 5.9 percent. The route then continues hilly to the Côte de Rocamadour (2.1 kilometers at 5.5 percent). The stage progresses over small uncategorized ramps and hills to the sprint point in Gourdon at kilometer 100. In the second half, the only significant obstacle is the Côte de Montcléra, a 2-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 4.6 percent. The last 70 kilometers are mostly flat, leading to Villeneuve-sur-Lot. In the final five kilometers, there are four turns and three roundabouts. Just before the flamme rouge, there is a straight final stretch of approximately 1,100 meters. Stage 12 is highly likely to culminate in a mass sprint. In Villeneuve-sur-Lot, it’s not just about the stage win but also the battle for the Green Jersey. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), buoyed by his victory on Stage 10, has the confidence to challenge Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) in this and the upcoming sprint stages. The heavier sprinters used up a lot of energy on Stage 11 to make the time cut. The question is whether they still have the freshness and explosiveness needed in the second week to muster all their power after over 200 kilometers.Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) is a rider edging closer to a win. The German seems to grow stronger as the race progresses, and his sprint train is now better coordinated. Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad CFR: The Bike Behind His Spring Classic Wins Mathieu van der Poels Cyclocross Calendar 2024/2025 Season Review 2024: Great Success of Team Alpecin-Deceuninck additional reporting by Vincent Daheron; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alison Williams Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Stage 12: Will breakaway or sprint teams prevail on 203.6km route from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot Tadej Pogacar remains in the yellow jersey one minute six seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel Jonas Vingegaard eight seconds further behind after win on stage 11 Head over here to read today's developing report on stage 12's action. We'll be back again tomorrow - catch you then 185Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 16:15 British Summer Time 11 July 202416:15 BST 11 July 2024That felt good 1185Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 11 July 202416:09 BST 11 July 2024Biniam Girmay became the first black African to triumph on the Tour with his victory on stage three he has a hat-trick of successes in 2024 as he beats Wout van Aert and Arnaud Demare 14619Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGirmay wins stage 12published at 16:07 British Summer Time 11 July 202416:07 BST 11 July 2024BreakingBiniam Girmay takes it! His third victory at this year's Tour 25635Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 1km to go1km to goAll the main contenders are there.. 574Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 2km to go2km to goMark Cavendish is following Biniam Girmay's wheel 1485Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 3km to go3km to goHere we go then whose podium hopes appear to be in tatters 478Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 5km to go5km to goWe have reached the safety zone for the general classification teams although one minute 35 seconds behind Primoz Roglic must keep going to limit his losses 261Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 7km to go7km to goPrimoz Roglic is almost 90 seconds down and looks set to only lose further time as the peloton charges towards the finish here who is for now fourth in the overall standings 1116Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 10km to go10km to goPrimoz Roglic is being led back to the peloton by his Red Bull- Bora-Hansgrohe team-mates after being brought down by Alexey Lutsenko but there is no slowing down by those at the front of the race and it looks like it'll be very difficult for him to make this gap up as we hit the final 10km 270Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 12km to go12km to goDrama Alexey Lutsenko and Primoz Roglic look to be among the riders who have been caught up in that 1245Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 15km to go15km to goOn the two previous stages into Villeneuve-sur-Lot the breakaway was able to hold off the peloton The stage is set for the bunch sprint and the tension is beginning to build as the peloton progresses at a speed of around 60km/h 170Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 19km to go19km to goThe riders pass into the final 20km and the pace is beginning to lift again with a couple of Astana Qazaqstan members still in support 450Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 25km to go25km to goLittle is changing now as the riders close in on the long-inevitable bunch sprint and 20km before the General Classification teams can relax Not long now until things start ramping up again 182Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 30km to go30km to goMovistar hoping to lead Fernando Gaviria to victory and Jasper Philipsen's Alpecin-Deceuninck continue to feature prominently at the front of the race as the peloton sweeps towards the finish Tom Pidcock receives a message from the Ineos Grenadiers team car to have a word about the intense pace being set - and which has been set since the start of the day Things appear to be settling down a little bit but it'll be interesting to see just how long that lasts 173Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 35km to go35km to goIt is a combination of sprinter's teams and General Classification teams driving the relentless high speed in the peloton as the kilometres continue to tick by there will be a 5km safety zone at the end of the stage - so the GC teams will be focused on delivering their leaders to that point before the sprinters take charge 203Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBreakaway caughtpublished at 40km to go40km to goAnd that is that for the breakaway At kilometre 162 of 203 on stage 12 they are caught and we'll now have a hectic 40km build-up to today's finish in Villeneuve-sur-Lot 283Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 42km to go42km to goJonas Abrahamsen Valentin Madouas and Quentin Pacher are glancing over their shoulders now their breakaway move will very shortly reach its end It'll be interesting to see if anyone attempts to launch any fresh attacks but you get the sense that the sprinter's teams won't be allowing anything to go from here 121Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 45km to go45km to goWout van Aert has to drop back to receive some medical attention on the wounds he sustained in his crash yesterday 86Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 48km to go48km to goThe gap is coming down very The breakaway's advantage dips below 40 seconds as we enter the final 50 kilometres and it's about how long Abrahamsen Madouas and Pacher can stay motivated for now It won't be long until the peloton have them in their sights Portugal witnessed the sun appearing to “dance” in the sky the culmination of the Our Lady of Fatima apparitions was witnessed by tens of thousands of people and was widely recorded by newspapers at the time It remains a day of particular devotion for many Catholics today The day is often recognized as an opportunity for fasting and prayer remembering Our Lady’s call for conversion and particularly to pray the rosary for peace in the world a medieval saint whose liturgical celebration falls on October 13 But the 9th century French saint - who lived a prayerful life amid political instability - in many ways complements the message of Our Lady of Fatima Here are 6 things you probably didn’t know about St St. Gerald of Aurillac. Share nor did he renounce the world to enter a monastery (although he did found a Benedictine monastery in Aurillac He owned a significant amount of land and wielded authority as the administrator of justice on the estates he inherited from his family followed a personal rule of life that involved simplicity Gerald lived was one of dueling nobles fighting for land and prestige It was a time of political instability and significant violence Gerald had wanted to donate all of his land to the Church he later became convinced that protecting his land - and the people living on it - was the best way he could serve God The saint proved himself to be shrewd in defending his land but was known to broker deals and even to turn competing rivals’ attention to one another and would sometimes decline to defend his land and livestock during raids and he became one of the leading noblemen in the region Gerald toward the end of his life created a monastery on his property to administer his land He took the unusual step of making it independent of his own control Gerald is most known for today is the way in which he lived a life of prayer and generosity in the midst of the aristocratic society into which he was born his allegiance to the pope would not have been looked on kindly at the time The saint therefore practiced his faith quietly He tonsured his head by shaving a small portion of it so the sign of devotion would be known only to him he was charitable toward the poor and merciful in running the affairs of his estates making him stand out among many of the aristocrats of the time period Leave a comment St. Gerald suffered significant health issues throughout his life. As a young man, he suffered from severe skin blemishes, which were either caused by acne or a skin disease. The blemishes left his parents concerned about his health and social standing. As a result, they directed him to focus more heavily on his studies, thinking he would be unable to follow in his father’s footsteps as a nobleman. Eventually, Gerald’s skin blemishes cleared up - although they left his face permanently scarred - and he was able to fully re-enter aristocratic society. However, his time of intensive study had left him with a love for learning, and he devoted time regularly to study as an adult. Virtually everything that is known today about St. Gerald comes from a biography written by French abbot St. Odo of Cluny. Despite being contemporaries, the two men never met each other.  Odo researched the biography extensively. He acknowledged initial misgivings about whether a layman and aristocrat could be a saint, but eventually concluded that Gerald lived his life with virtue and sanctity, despite his wealth. Odo also noted that many miracles were attributed to Gerald, both during his life and at the site of his tomb following his death. St. Gerald is probably one of the only count saints. As such, he has become the patron saint of counts. In addition, he’s the patron saint of bachelors, since he took a private vow of chastity, despite being a layman. The Pillar is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I will be informing my older son (fan of children's television) ASAP so he can consider adding St. Gerald of Aurillac to his list of friends. One! One patron saint of counts! Ahahaha! ReplyShare1 more comment...LatestNo posts October 13 marks the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun Portugal witnessed the sun appearing to \u201Cdance\u201D in the sky remembering Our Lady\u2019s call for conversion Here are 6 things you probably didn\u2019t know about St Share and he discerned joining for a while).  but was known to broker deals and even to turn competing rivals\u2019 attention to one another Leave a comment Gerald suffered significant health issues throughout his life which were either caused by acne or a skin disease The blemishes left his parents concerned about his health and social standing they directed him to focus more heavily on his studies thinking he would be unable to follow in his father\u2019s footsteps as a nobleman Gerald\u2019s skin blemishes cleared up - although they left his face permanently scarred - and he was able to fully re-enter aristocratic society his time of intensive study had left him with a love for learning and he devoted time regularly to study as an adult Virtually everything that is known today about St Gerald comes from a biography written by French abbot St He acknowledged initial misgivings about whether a layman and aristocrat could be a saint but eventually concluded that Gerald lived his life with virtue and sanctity Odo also noted that many miracles were attributed to Gerald both during his life and at the site of his tomb following his death Gerald is probably one of the only count saints The Pillar is a reader-supported publication consider becoming a free or paid subscriber The Canadian test fly half will join the club next season on a three-year deal He makes the step up from third-division Bressane to the Pro D2 The Northern Ireland native previously played Pro 14 for Ulster He signed with Seattle for the 2020 Major League Rugby season but did not get to play due to the pandemic Eligibile to play for Canada via a grandparent, Nelson was selected for Canada in 2019. He played nine test matches that year, three of which were at RWC 2019. He started at fly half against Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa. Canada’s match against Namibia was called-off due to Typhoon Hagibis There are four additional Canadian test match players presently in the Pro D2 They are second-rowers Matt Beukeboom (Montauban) and Evan Olmstead (Biarritz) fly half Shane O’Leary (Rouen) and winger Taylor Paris (Oyonnax) Beukeboom is set to move to a new club next season #SAfamily #NouvelleRecrue — Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne (@SArugbyofficiel) March 15, 2021 Tags Mexico hosted and defeated Jamaica on Saturday linéaire A architecture has completed the fourth side of a square located in aurillac comprised of three historic barracks buildings by adding a cinema. its layout defines a spacious and legible square offering a flexible new public space for hosting cultural events such as the aurillac’s international street theatre festival the ‘cristal cinema’ wraps around the full height entrance hall which peels away to enhance the view between carmes street and the clock building the project’s sculptural expression implies the motion inherent to cinema and was envisaged as a rock crystal grown out of the square its faces continuously playing with light throughout the day and night. the coating instead becomes the garment of the building with a double-skin system that leaves a great freedom of artistic expression while strengthening the isolation and barrier qualities of the complex the cinema is located in the michel crespin square in aurillac designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Medievalists.net William completed the legend surrounding Gerbert’s life William credited Gerbert with having built a hydraulic organ in the cathedral of Reims William’s account of the organ is examined in its context This study reveals that William’s account must be dismissed as pure fancy A feature unique to this study is the use of sources from a variety of disciplines In order not to present a one-dimensional (and therefore false) appraisal of Gerbert as an organbuilder we have examined him in his various roles as letter-writer Only when we know Gerbert in the context of his life and times can we make a valid assessment of his contribution to the art and craft of organbuilding Click here to read this thesis from Rice University We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast and remove the advertising on our platforms This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce Member Login By: Jamie Matusow Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027 A whopping 23 emerging nations players have run out for Stade Aurillacois Cantal Auvergne in the ProD2 this season making them the club which has invested most in those from rugby’s lesser-known hotbeds For the past five seasons, French clubs have been on the lookout for the next Davit Niniashvili, Raffaele Storti or Adrian Motoc, and Aurillac is at the forefront of unearthing those gems “It’s difficult for a club like Aurillac to get the best French players even in the Under-18s,” the club’s sporting director Walter Olombel tells RugbyPass we made the decision to start scouting young players from countries such as Georgia as they are only looking for a good academy structure that can help them progress They are motivated to work as hard as any professional player and have an astonishing competitive spirit they will assist us not only by playing their hearts out for Aurillac but also by spreading the word we are a good club to work with We can’t recruit the best 25-year-old player but we can get the best U18s and by doing that consistently This strategy has helped the players in question rise to greater things. Beka Saghinadze, for example, is an Aurillac poster boy. The Georgian loose forward joined the club from his homeland in 2018 and grew into an outstanding international enforcer, before being snapped up by Top 14 heavyweights Lyon some of them dream of moving on and playing in Top1 4 and we have no problems with that,” Olombel goes on This the only logical way for us to keep playing in the ProD2 and have a sustainable pro status.” This left-field approach has helped Aurillac preserve its second-tier status and fight to finish in the top half of the division have managed to stay in the ProD2 for a long time and even went to the Top 14 when it was Top 16 for two seasons,” Olombel says “We can’t say we don’t want to win promotion even if we probably get relegated immediately after our main concern is to build a well-structured project and not go down a crazy route of hiring players just to conceal gaps and issues The main concern is to become more efficient and creative when finding young players that can grow with us.” The framework has worked wonders in other sports particularly Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal around the turn of the millennium and Barcelona under the great Pep Guardiola focused on discovering youngsters overlooked by others or yet to blossom players hungry for the chance to show their wares and whose growth will boost the club’s quest for the Top 14 Look below the senior squad, and the fruits of Aurillac’s toil are spectacular. They offer tantalising snapshots of future potential. In 2022, the espoirs defeated mighty Toulouse to win the French game’s premier academy trophy They claimed scalp after scalp along the way many of whom bore the cream of national age-grade talent “These teams had France Under-20 internationals while most of our players were not well known to the public,” Olombel stresses four players signed their pro contracts in 2022-23 and 11 played their first game in the ProD2 This season another eight will sign their first pro contracts and 14 have played at least one game for Aurillac’s top side we will have almost 20 former 2022 Espoirs champions with a pro pathway with us which tells you our idea is to build a team around that generation If we leave aside national franchises and leading clubs such as the Georgian Black Lion or Germany’s SC Frankfurt no side has supplied more players than Aurillac to the Rugby Europe Championship Seven of their squad are involved during the second-division international tournament Aurillac’s success may be intertwined with that of the Netherlands and even Zimbabwe as they strive to climb the ladder French rugby has long been awash with stories of players pressured by their paymasters to eschew Test honours and stick with their clubs “We have thankfully built good relationships with coaches and staff from different countries “We debate the best way to improve a player “There’s no secret behind our scouting or the way we do things except one: we look for those who will grab the opportunity and won’t let go Let me give you an idea: we try to give more freedom of movement and thought to the players but our idea is to provide sufficient tools for their growth without always being on top of them Our coaching staff is 100% passionate for Aurillac because they played or grown here [like head coach Romeo Gontineac for instance a Romanian legend who played in four World Cups] and will do everything they can to improve the club “One of the problems in the Top 14 and ProD2 is how a chunk of coaches don’t give a proper chance to an espoir player and it becomes a roadblock for their development This is a romantic tale for any rugby fan who sees no borders or limits in the sport Aurillac’s efforts to find young prospects in less prestigious countries shows a refreshingly positive side of the professional game Join free and tell us what you really think located on the outskirts of aurillac’s city center in france, brisac gonzalez architects has completed a multi-purpose hall forming a venue for theater the flexible and readily adaptable design employs retractable seating and a demountable stage and is capable of accommodating up to 4,500 people the scheme is a chamber hosting a variety of ephemeral events the entrance to ‘le prisme’ on the outskirts of aurillac the structure is defined by three stacked ribbons of concrete which vary in height and texture and delineate the three separate zones of the building: entry this also creates a series of residual spaces which contain services the upper volume is made from prefabricated concrete panels with a grid of glass bricks sunlight interacts with the 25,000 bespoke prisms producing glimmering effects and dramatic shadows in the evening the structure comes to life as the surfaces of the bricks amplify the intensity of the lighting scheme a column-free volume which measures 40×60 meters a large door ensures that trucks and other service vehicles can enter delivering performance and catering equipment or trade shows displays a concert taking place inside the multi-purpose hall the design employs retractable seating and a demountable stage the façade’s colour lighting scheme can be altered to suit a particular mood or event francearea: 5,265 sqmcost: €8,500,000client: communauté d’agglomération d’aurillacstatus: competition winning entry designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here Ronan Loughnane has become the latest Birr RFC product to make the move abroad.  He's signed a three year deal to play in the French Pro D2 with Aurillac.  The 20-year-old has been involved with Ireland's U-20s this season and with chances limited in the home provinces has decided to take a plunge into the professional ranks in France.  Loughnane had been training with Munster and lined out for their development squad last month That came off the back of playing his club rugby with UCD and a successful stint with Cistercian College Roscrea.  https://www.limerickleader.ie/section/1195/advertise-with-us weather & more in Limerick and County Limerick All the latest breaking local news from Limerick and County Limerick Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Limerick and County Limerick Catch up on all the latest business news in Limerick and County Limerick Read about the latest properties available in Limerick and County Limerick Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Limerick and County Limerick Limerick and County Limerick Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Limerick and County Limerick Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Kelvin Brown in action for the Irish U-20s side against Wales in the 6 Nations FORMER Ireland U-20 back-row forward Kelvin Brown is set to return to Shannon RFC this summer having spent this season playing with French ProD2 side Aurillac a former member of the Munster Sub-Academy turned down an offer of a new three-year deal with Aurillac in order to return to home to complete his studies at Limerick IT the exciting 20-year-old insists he still harbours ambitions of resuming his career as a professional rugby player Brown said: “I had an offer of a new three-year contract from Aurillac as well as ones from the Championship in England I have decided to head back and finish off my college degree I was doing a degree is Business Marketing in LIT “ I would like to have something to fall back on before I commit fully to professional rugby You don't know when rugby could end and the fact I am still only 20 I would like to have a degree before it's too late “I still have a lot of development to do so am relishing the opportunity to do it with Shannon in the AIL next year and hope to be in a better position in two years time to play professional rugby “I'm looking forward to going up against other players in the Ulster Bank League that are on contracts with the provinces “Being a professional rugby player in the years ahead is still the dream “I want to focus on playing well with Shannon next season and hope to kick on from there.” coached by former Ireland international Jeremy Davidson who was a member of the Munster Sub-Academy last season was not offered a place in the Munster Academy this term despite impressing at the Junior World Championship last summer when Ireland reached the final Brown said of his decision to move to France: “I was really going into the unknown I didn’t know anyone there and didn’t know what to expect situated up the mountains hidden away in central France was a major culture shock but nevertheless it was something I relished and was exciting about from the off “Professional rugby in France from my experience is miles off back home There is very little focus on strength and conditioning and injury prevention over here which is a major flaw playing professional rugby was always a dream of mine and being able to do that in one of the toughest and most physical competitions around today was an unforgettable experience so I'm looking forward to getting back home to Limerick for the holidays “We won our last game at home to Dax and finished 8th in the table this season just missing a place in the play-offs which was disappointing.” Asked if he would encourage more aspiring young rugby players to move abroad in a bid to further their careers Brown said: “Rugby is played all over the world which is the great thing “I didn’t have any safety net in France in terms of friends or family to fall back on so I threw myself fully into the life of a professional player “It's like living in a bubble in terms of how much is done for you on and off the pitch.” " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Join Slimming World Ireland and donate your clothes to charity when you lose the weight Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie WHEN YOU SPEAK to Irish players based abroad many of them talk about a desire to return to home soil in the future and challenge for provincial and international honours Others are completely content where they are Some emigrants pine for a return to Ireland while others find themselves totally happy in their new surroundings Former Ulster wing Conor Gaston belongs in the latter camp Now in his fourth season with French Pro D2 side Aurillac who are coached by ex-Ireland and Lions lock Jeremy Davidson “I have no idea what I’m going to be doing in 10 or 15 years I haven’t thought about it much,” says the 26-year-old I would like to stay in France when I finish rugby and work here A lot of my friends have moved on from home there’s no real desire to move back home.” Gaston has a French girlfriend – English by birth but having emigrated there in her youth – has an excellent grasp of the language and also appreciates the joie de vivre he has experienced since moving to France from London Irish in 2013 it’s a lot more laidback compared to London especially set in the Auvergne region in south-central France are tough – they have trained in temperatures of -8°C – the scorching summers more than make up for it Perhaps as importantly as his pleasure at life off the pitch Despite having one of the smallest budgets in the league Aurillac reached the Pro D2 final last season but missed out on promotion into the Top 14 with a defeat to Bayonne in that decider Davidson has been at the club since 2011 and they have consistently punched well above their weight in the Pro D2 with the relatively minuscule budget failing to hold Aurillac back from being fixtures in the top half of the table and very often in contention good maul and good scrum,” says Gaston of Aurillac who are currently eight in the highly-competitive Pro D2 We like to play wide and it’s not maybe the stereotypical French rugby where they stick it up the jumper with pick-and-gos around the corner “We like to throw it about a bit more compared to some other teams It’s slightly harder in the winter with the cold and rain but at the start of the season and the end we like to play a bit of rugby and keep the other teams moving.” Davidson’s achievements very nearly brought him the Clermont forwards coaching gig in 2013 only for former Leinster man Jono Gibbes to pip him to the post The ex-Ireland lock certainly deserves to be in the mix for positions like the vacant one at Connacht while Ulster look like they could use his set-piece expertise right now with the width in their attacking game and their aggressive defensive linespeed suiting his strengths out on the wing The Coleraine man has made 74 starts for Aurillac over the past four seasons underlining how important a cog in the team he is Gaston’s journey into professional rugby wasn’t quite of the dreaming-of-playing-for-Ireland-and-the-Lions variety rugby wasn’t even his favourite sport and he only started playing because his older brother did I’ve always been a Man Utd fan,” says Gaston It’s weird to say that as a professional rugby player Gaston’s performances at school level when he was coming through Coleraine Inst caught the eyes of the Ulster set-up and he was brought into the provincial fold at U19 and U20 levels when he began to realise that there was a potential career there for him Brian McLaughlin and Jonny Bell were his two coaches with the Ulster U20s – “so two good coaches when you’re hoping to be a professional and great for guys looking to make that step from underage to senior rugby encouraging you to work on strong points and weak parts of your game.” There were brief thoughts of moving to the UK for university but with his rugby career lifting off Gaston instead stayed at home playing club rugby with Dungannon and joining the Ulster academy His senior Ulster debut came on the right wing in a Pro12 clash with the Dragons in March 2011 and he made a total of five appearances for his home province over the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons he also worked with Davidson – while they also linked up at club level with Dungannon But Gaston’s promising start with Ulster was stymied by the sheer depth of options in the back three Craig Gilroy was established with over 50 appearances Adam D’Arcy was there and doing well,” says Gaston before pointing out that young prospects like Jacob Stockdale and Rob Lyttle are now coming through A move to London Irish in 2012 was intended to see Gaston get more game time but again he was in fierce competition for a place and played only in the Challenge Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup in his single season in London He did manage to learn from competing with the likes of Marland Yarde with Gaston feeling that he left London a better player Davidson got in touch about a move to Aurillac – Gaston admits he didn’t know too much about the club or town – but it made sense and he hasn’t looked back once “I had no idea what it would be like here,” says Gaston “Some people had said before that coming to France it was a bit unprofessional “Their approach to rugby here in Aurillac is more out on the pitch and getting the ball in the hands it was more gym-based and maybe more science-based than here Brian Hayes and Nigel Brady have passed through the club in recent years while Gaston welcomed a new Irish face to the club this season when the Ireland U20s-capped Kelvin Brown arrived in November as a medical joker “He’s a really nice fella,” says Gaston of back row Brown “It must have been difficult for him at the start coming over and not really knowing anyone or knowing any French but then it was unfortunate that he came over as a medical joker and the other boy came back a bit quicker than he thought But Kelvin is still here now and doing well It’s good to have another Irish person about!” Gaston himself has another 18 months left on his contract with Aurillac and would like to remain beyond that point if possible He may be out of the Irish rugby limelight so are you going to get that somewhere else “It’s difficult to get home and people coming over is difficult sometimes Subscribe to The42 Rugby Show podcast here: Create an email alert based on the current article FOR THOSE WHO weren’t brought up in French rugby but end up finding their way into it it’s a place where new wonders are constantly around the corner a thick book of laws – but the game there is different Eoghan Masterson has been discovering its joys this season with Aurillac in the PRO D2 the fully-professional second division of French rugby The 30-year-old joined them last summer after being released by Connacht He admits he didn’t know much about the PRO D2 before but now extols its virtues He has played in front of crowds of more than 10,000 on a few occasions the Thursday and Friday night games are shown live on TV Agen and Béziers battle to return to the top table Masterson plays predominantly in the back row and covers the second row but he has come to respect how highly valued the big cinq [five] locks are in French rugby Everyone wants a Will Skelton or Emmanuel Meafou – a towering bullocking second row who isn’t a lineout jumper buts scrums and mauls until the cows come home The Portlaoise man also has a better understanding of why some teams’ away records aren’t great There’s the intense pride of playing at home but now also the reality of hitting regulations regarding JIFF [Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation] players who have spent three years in a club’s academy before the age of 21 Aurillac have punched well above their weight in the PRO D2 finishing higher than clubs with far bigger budgets Jeremy Davidson previously worked wonders in Aurillac They target their home games as essential and then sometimes use the away games to hit their JIFF figures “We wouldn’t play a lot of our foreign players for away games because we try to boost the JIFF numbers which is an overall average for the season,” says Masterson chatting during the midday ‘siesta’ in between training sessions in Aurillac “There would be some games where they send off 23 JIFF-qualified players to boost the numbers and that’s important for a club like Aurillac because they get money for that.” The club were honest with him when he joined They explained that they won’t ever stretch themselves beyond their financial means in order to get promoted to the Top 14 They understand that players will use the club as a stepping stone to be picked up by a bigger team “Aurillac don’t pretend to be something they’re not,” is how Masterson puts it “I obviously want to play at the top level But I understand that Aurillac are what they are They say they’re a good club for progressing players and they don’t bullshit you.” With two games left this season including tonight’s clash against Provence They’re well clear of the relegation battle for another year A few more wins might have had them in play-off contention Another quirk in French rugby is that to get a try-scoring bonus point you need to score three tries more than the opposition you must be within five points of the winning team Aurillac have only managed four bonus points in their 28 games who joined on a two-year contract with the option of a third season has been loving all the new experiences in south-central France it was daunting going into something quite different I still have that appetite,” says Masterson who is also keen to continue his coaching journey having worked with the Corinthians U20s last season I had to ask myself if this was something I could keep doing I made the decision that I definitely wasn’t ready to finish up.” It was February 2022 when Andy Friend told Masterson there wasn’t a contract extension offer for him He had been a true stalwart for Connacht for nine seasons and it was tough to take Masterson has great praise for how respectfully and honestly Friend dealt with it it’s like your whole world is falling apart Friendy has to have those conversations with how many players every single year ‘That’s just part of rugby’ but for me and other lads at the time Would be able to keep playing rugby somewhere else What would happen with his then-fiancée Lisa’s work as a nurse if he moved abroad to play He recounts how Connacht coach Peter Wilkins who takes on the top job there this summer once taught him and the other players about the concept of ‘anti-fragility,’ essentially being resilient and viewing challenging times as a chance to become better Masterson was certain he wanted to continue his pro career The problem was that there didn’t seem to be a gig for him anywhere his former Connacht team-mate Paddy McAllister rang for a chat Masterson explained his predicament and McAllister said to leave it with him Masterson was surprised when his friend called back the next day and said Aurillac It has worked out better than Masterson could have hoped He and Lisa got married last August and she moved with him to the little town of Aurillac where she has set up her own business selling cakes and baked goods in the local market Their French language is coming along nicely and Masterson has even done a few interviews en français if you’re willing to throw yourself into it and make a few mistakes even if the winter was cold with some snow “People were telling me the weather in Aurillac is awful I was eating my breakfast outside until mid-November.” The rhythm of the PRO D2 seasons means blocks of four or five games on consecutive weekends followed by a break so he and Lisa have been doing as much travelling in France as possible They’ve already scratched places like Perpignan So things have worked for Masterson after the initial stress of Connacht telling him they didn’t have room for him. He looks back with great fondness. Let’s not forget that this is a man who had to learn to walk again after a truly horrific knee injury in 2016 meaning he missed the Pro12 run-in that year finishing his time with 120 Connacht appearances He worked with outstanding coaches throughout his time in Connacht and says that Jimmy Duffy and Nigel Carolan were “two special coaches” for him He’s proud to see them now excelling with Western Force and Glasgow Masterson got to play with his younger brother in the green jersey and has many great friends who are still there “I have no regrets about my time with Connacht “I enjoyed how they signed off the departing players and acknowledged what we had done “I’d love to have stayed in Connacht and won 300 caps like Mul [John Muldoon] but it wasn’t to be “I’m on another path now and hoping to play for the longest I can Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user TALENTED Limerick back-rower Kelvin Brown enjoyed a winning first start with Aurillac in France’s Pro D2 on Friday night Former Shannon star Brown lined out in the back-row in Aurillac’s 24-22 victory over Vannes at the Stade Jean Alric The win leaves Aurillac fourth in the Pro D2 table just two points behind table toppers Montauban Aurillac are coached by former Irish international Jeremy Davidson who impressed for the Ireland U-20s in their run to the Junior World Championship final last summer joined Aurillac on a one-year contract at the start of this season who was a member of the Munster Sub-Academy last season, was not offered a place in the Munster Academy this term despite impressing at those Championships Thousands of people demonstrated in a centre-France town last weekend in solidarity with a woman who was summoned to court for walking topless in public during the heatwave Festival-goer Marina (whose surname has not been released) received a court summons after she refused to cover her nipples in Aurillac (Cantal) last week, reported local newspaper La Montagne She argued that she was simply doing what “half of men do” The issuing of a court summons prompted thousands of feminist activists and festival-goers to congregate in front of the Aurillac mairie on Saturday (August 26) “The movement is non-violent [and] in favour of equal treatment for both genders,” Marina was reported to have said to a crowd of supporters “I would like everybody to fall in line with a single message: The patriarchy must be abolished.” Many women demonstrated topless and chanted feminist and anti-police slogans Read more: Bra-less movement takes hold among liberated under-25s in France the police in recovery position) read several banners The demonstration has sparked protests from feminist associations which denounce what they see as a double standard between genders who was sentenced to one month of suspended jail time and ordered to pay compensation after protesting topless in front of the La Madeleine church in Paris in 2013 French law includes a crime termed ‘sexual exhibition’ It is punishable with one year of jail time and a fine of up to €15,000 Ms Bouton tried to get MPs to request a change to this law “How can it still be an issue in 2023 and no change to this law has been made?” said Ms Bouton a former member of the feminist movement Femen “They should specify what ‘sexual exhibition’ is There is no mention of words such as penis or vulva Charges against Marina in Aurillac were later dismissed Article 222-32 does not specify which part of the human body needs to be covered (or if not covered should be seen as a crime) nor does the law state that nipples shown in public should be considered as ‘sexual exhibition’ “The law was written by men for men,” said Ms Bouton women's nipples are considered to be more erotic than those of men.” “We have been told that the bodies of women are sexual France has previously sentenced several French women to suspended prison time for being topless in public which feminist associations have repeatedly denounced one of the earliest members of the feminist group Femen was sentenced in court in 2018 on a charge of sexual exhibition after she protested topless and stabbed Putin’s wax statue at Musée Grévin in Paris The European Court of Human Rights has said in a previous case that France had violated article 10 of its constitution which states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression the story in Aurillac later developed into a different issue when several demonstrators vandalised the town’s court This prompted condamnation from government officials and politicians including Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti “I condemn with the strongest firmness the violence and degradation that occurred at Aurillac’s court,” said Mr Dupond-Moretti in a tweet “To attack the Republic’s justice [institution] and those who serve it is unacceptable.” Je condamne avec la plus grande fermeté les violences et les dégradations commises au tribunal d’Aurillac.S’en prendre à la justice de la République et ceux qui la servent est inacceptable!Tout mon soutien aux magistrats et aux personnels concernés, je serai à leur côté demain. https://t.co/WHxnnbmpoq pic.twitter.com/qW0soq0eB8 Elsewhere in France, several coastal mairies - including La Grande-Motte in Hérault - have imposed decrees to forbid people from walking topless in public The decrees apply to both men and women in theory but are intended mainly to reduce what some see as too many men walking around without shirts Recent power cut in Spain and Portugal is warning to holidaymakers to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenario The resort is set to remain open to the public and not only to professionals Storms from the weekend will persist across some areas This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page LEINSTER FORWARDS COACH Jono Gibbes is set to take over the same role at Top 14 giants Clermont Auvergne next season but it could easily have been an Irishman in his place Ex-international Jeremy Davidson has been making a name for himself in France’s second-tier Pro D2 since 2011 and came very close to being the man in charge of Clermont’s forwards when current head coach Vern Cotter leaves at the end of the season Davidson’s playing career was ended prematurely in 2003 by a knee injury meaning he moved into coaching with Dungannon RFC former club Castres took the Belfast native on to work with their forwards the lure of Ulster proved hard to resist and Davidson returned to the provincial set-up as assistant coach in 2009 itchy feet struck again and Davidson decided it was time to look for a head coaching gig That opportunity arose at Pro D2 minnows Aurillac in the sparsely-populated Cantal department of south-central France The sheer excellence of the work Davidson has done in the two and a bit seasons since meant in was no surprise to see him linked to the Clermont job The former Lions second row told TheScore.ie of his disappointment at missing out “I got interviewed for the Clermont job and it went really well they contacted me afterwards and just said ‘Jono Gibbes has won three Heineken Cups with Leinster.’ So they went for his profile rather than mine but confidence comes from being close to that job Hopefully if I can keep plugging away and getting good results with Aurillac I’ll get my opportunity to get back up to the Top 14 and I feel that I’m ready to move up to that level again.” It seems entirely probable that Davidson will keep the good results flowing Aurillac finished a respectable 13th out of 16 teams but it was last season when the marvels began With a budget that was the third lowest in the division Davidson guided his side to the promotion play-offs just two games away from getting into the Top 14 “Last year was my second year here and we got to the semi-finals Having the 14th-highest budget in the league We had a budget of €2.6 million that year and then you’ve got Brive with over €10 million We’re really putting the banger up against the Ferrari Aurillac’s fantastic season saw Davidson and his right hand man Thierry Peuchlestrade awarded the honour of ‘best coaching team in the Pro D2′ at this week’s Nuit du Rugby ceremony It is a prestigious award but Davidson refused to allow the focus be on him “The important thing is that the club keeps progressing We’re building all the time because we have to have a young squad Last year we went to the semi-finals and really over-achieved Other teams would struggle after that but we’ve recruited well had a good pre-season and we’re building.” there appears to be no hangover from last season’s heady achievements with Aurillac sitting fourth in the Pro D2 coming into this weekend That’s despite still having the third-lowest budget in the league at around €3.65 million So what are the secrets to success in the Cantal department 17 of our guys have come through the academy system the academy players play with us full time because there’s not a massive amount of players here on pro contracts “Another way we do it is bringing up our team spirit a lot A lot of our recruitment is based on rugby ability obviously but it’s also based on the type of guy that we’re bringing into the club Whether they’re going to embrace the culture adapt well and bring something to the club.” Davidson was the players’ player of the tour during the 1997 Lions victory in South Africa it might be expected that Davidson favours a style of play orientated towards the set piece and ball carrying in the forwards the truth is that Aurillac play an enterprising and intelligent brand of attacking rugby something they have had to do in order to thrive “I’ve changed my outlook on how to play the game since I came here generally money means bigger men in the Pro D2 more powerful men against you in the forwards particularly “So I knew that we weren’t going to out muscle other teams we had to do something different and a bit more special it’s the case that we have decided to play running rugby and try to beat big teams through organisation and attacking it’s fitted in quite well with the environment in Aurillac.” one-time Munster hooker Denis Fogarty was a key element in the Aurillac team but he has since moved on to Agen and Ulster wide men Conor Gaston and Charlie Simpson Davidson says the new boys have settled in well The people we’ve brought in are good people Life in France is going well for Davidson and while his immediate ambition is to break into the Top 14 and “get my hands on a big club,” there will always be the feeling that the 39-year-old would enjoy being called on to coach one of the Irish provinces