Ken Borland

French rugby might not have seen the last of Argentine backline star Juan Martin Hernandez, with the 31-year-old confirming this week that he will consider returning to European rugby in 2015.

Hernandez left Racing Metro last month despite still having 11 months remaining on his contract, to head back to Argentina to concentrate on Test duty and their looming entry into SuperRugby.

But their participation in SuperRugby only starts in 2016, so Hernandez will obviously have to find a stop-gap club for 2015.

The presence of Ireland and British Lions flyhalf Jonathan Sexton and the arrival of Springbok Johan Goosen may also have prompted Hernandez’s decision.

“I’m only without a club for the Rugby Championship and the Tests in November and then we will see what happens. 2015 is a new year,” Hernandez said rather cryptically last week.

Hernandez, like so many other Argentinians, came to France to develop his game and he said his time at Racing Metro had done much for his career.

“You try to reach a very good level as a rugby player and the standard is more high in France than in Argentina. It was a big step coming to France but 90% of the players in Argentina develop their game in Europe.

“Racing Metro were a very good, strong team and when I joined them they had just gone into the first division. So I was around for the construction of the team. It was my decision to go, but I think Racing Metro will have a great season to come and maybe they will be European and Top 14 champions,” Hernandez said.

The gifted utility back has played a measly 44 Tests in 10 years and the injury curse that has so afflicted his career struck again this weekend when he withdrew from the Test against the Springboks in Pretoria with a groin injury. Some Argentinian journalists at Loftus Versfeld called Hernandez’s injury problems more mental than physical.

The smart money at the moment is on El Mago joining his former club, Stade Francais, because Hugo Bonneval, a player they relied on heavily at fullback last season, is on the injured list.

All-rounder David Wiese was the star for the Unlimited Titans on the second day of their Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors at SuperSport Park yesterday, his runs and wickets helping the home side to take firm control of the game.

Wiese was an important cog in heeding coach Rob Walter’s plea that the team show more application with the bat, scoring 46 as they posted 353 all out in their first innings, and then did another fine job with the ball for the Titans, claiming three for 26 in 15 overs as the Warriors limped to 165 for eight in reply.

Debutant Somila Seyibokwe (11*) and Basheer Walters (8*) were the batsmen at the crease for the Warriors when bad light stopped play at 4.35pm with 21 overs to be bowled on the second day.

In-form opener David White was the only batsman to shine for the Warriors as he scored a classy 85 off 116 balls on a pitch which is producing more and more uneven bounce.

While the Titans definitely had an advantage by winning the toss and batting first, their bowlers have been impressive, Wiese, Marchant de Lange, Shaun von Berg and Cobus Pienaar offering no leniency as they applied constant pressure.

White and Jon-Jon Smuts (20) offered the most resistance with a third-wicket stand of 60 after Michael Price (6) and Colin Ackermann (4) had fallen cheaply to De Lange and Wiese respectively shortly after lunch.

De Lange gave a glimpse of what the Aussie batsmen were fortunate to miss out on while he was injured, having Price caught at short-leg off a sharp lifter and generally bowling with terrific pace and ferocity, without the reward he deserved.

Ryan Bailey added 42 for the fourth wicket with White, but the veteran once again fell in the teens, falling into a short midwicket trap set by Pienaar and being well-caught by Qaasim Adams for 17.

Despite the odd delivery keeping lethally low, the Warriors batsmen were addicted to the drug of back-foot play and Athenkosi Dyili and Andrew Birch were both bowled for ducks, hanging back in the crease, by Pienaar and leg-spinner Von Berg respectively.

The Titans had begun the second day on 268 for six and Pienaar, who had done much to arrest a middle-order slide on the first day, completed his third half-century of this Sunfoil Series campaign off the third delivery of the day, but was then removed two balls later by Birch, driving to cover.

Wiese claimed eight fours off 71 balls and De Lange (27) also dished out some punishment though to lift the Titans to an impressive total, one that could ensure they are not left languishing at the bottom of the log.