No rest for Michalak

No rest for the wicked: Frédéric Michalak set to waste little time getting back into the Top 14

French international fly-half Frédéric Michalak could play a role for French champions Toulouse in their Top 14 match with Brive next Saturday just days after returning from his successful stint in South Africa.

Toulouse manager Guy Novès said Michalak's contribution would hang on whether fellow France team-mate David Skrela recovered from a knock he took to an ankle during Toulouse's 26-13 victory over title leaders Stade Francais last Saturday.

Michalak is set to return from South Africa on Wednesday coming off success in the Currie Cup with the Sharks over the weekend.

"Michalak's role is all linked to Skrela recovering completely," said Novès.

Skrela, though, came through a training session on Monday without feeling any pain.

Toulouse should also welcome back former All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher who was given a week off last week.

All 19,000 places on offer for the match have already been taken up in a clash that pits second-placed Toulouse against a Brive side who are sixth from bottom and 12 points behind their opponents.

Meanwhile, Michalak has described his time in Durban with the Sharks as a 'life-changing' experience.

Michalak joined the Sharks for the Super 14 and played a big part in breaking a twelve-year drought to win South Africa's domestic Currie Cup title over the weekend.

The Sharks beat Victor Matfield's Blue Bulls side 14-9 in a pulsating Final, and the 26-year-old will take back memories that will last forever.

"Durban and the Sharks have changed my life," the Frenchman told The Mercury.

"My reason for leaving France was to have a new life experience, but I could not have imagined it would work out quite as positively as it did.

"I am a changed person. I have grown. I had never spent time outside of my home town, and I came to Durban unsure of myself.

"But South Africans of all cultures - black, white, English and Afrikaans - opened their hearts to me. My time here has been very special indeed.

"I was very anxious to repay the Sharks by making a good contribution in the final."

Michalak said the occasion of the Currie Cup Final was probably the finest he had experienced in rugby.

"There is no place like this in rugby," Michalak said.

"I am just so happy that I could experience this."

Michalak also hinted he may return to South Africa.

"I have signed for three years for Toulouse. After that, who knows? It would have been good to play more rugby for this team," he said.

"It is one of the happiest and most talented I have played in."