Next stop Paris for Welsh lad Mike Phillips

The Wales scrum-half will join up with his Lions half-back partner Jonny Sexton at the lavishly financed French club, as he seeks to restore his reputation after being sacked by Bayonne for allegedly turning up to a video analysis session drunk.

After finalising terms in the French capital, the 31-year-old confirmed his move on Twitter last night.

“Great first day in Paris. Can’t wait to start with my new club Racing Metro tomorrow,” tweeted Phillips. “Looking forward to the next 2.5 years.”

Phillips could make his debut against Harlequins in the Heineken Cup this weekend after escaping a citing for stamping on Quade Cooper’s hand during Saturday’s Test against Australia.

The contract ends any faint hopes Warren Gatland may have harboured that Phillips would return to Wales to play regional rugby. But under its terms Phillips has been reluctantly required to drop his legal action against Bayonne for unfair dismissal.

Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti has evidently not been put off by the Phillips rap sheet. Before he was dismissed in October, he had been suspended by Bayonne in 2012 because of misconduct and by Wales a year earlier after an altercation in Cardiff city centre.

As well as Sexton, Phillips will have two familiar faces waiting for him at the club in Wales teammates Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate. Whether they can keep him on the straight and narrow amongst the bright lights of one of Europe’s most enticing cities remains to be seen.

A debut against Quins would be a high-profile start with England captain Chris Robshaw set to return for his first match since the autumn Tests.

“He should be back,” said director of rugby Conor O’Shea. “He got loads of bangs and bruises with England – nothing sinister, but we just want to make sure that when he comes back he is 100 per cent as opposed to 95 per cent. That’s when you make an issue become a proper issue. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Article source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/rugby-barbarians-43-fiji-19-164136881--spt.html

Next stop Paris for Welsh lad Mike Phillips