Andy Powell's move to Stade Armandie is called off as the Welsh international fails to show up to meet Monsieur le President

Don't tell Ray de Galles, but Welsh international Andy Powell's much-vaunted move to Agen is off after club president Alain Tingaud declared the 14-cap No.8 "unmanageable".

After Powell had rejected a move to rugby league's Crusaders, Agen seemed favourites to sign the Cardiff Blues man after three weeks of negotiations, but despite the club announcing on Friday that he would be gracing Stade Armandie next season, by Sunday morning Tingaud had torn up the two-year, £300,000 contract.

In a statement, the club said that it had broken off negotiations with the player and his agent. "The main reason was neither financial nor sporting, just the inability of the player to make a decision before the deadline set by Agen," it read.

Powell was due to meet his future boss in person on Saturday to seal the deal, but cancelled his visit to Agen at the last minute.

"I am disappointed because he is a good player but I think he is unmanageable based on the fact that he was interested in joining us and now, after three weeks, we are told he isn't," a furious Tingaud told The Rugby Paper on Sunday.

"The only reason I got was that the guy awoke this [Saturday] morning and changed his mind. Both he and his English agent should behave differently in future otherwise they will not be accepted by French clubs. This is not the way it should be done.

"I never recruit any player without first meeting him face to face. We had arranged to do that tomorrow but that won't happen because I have stopped all discussions. We feel let down but I'm not going to cry."

Powell has already been linked with a move to Wasps, but any suitor will have to part with at least £50,000 in the form of compensation to the Cardiff Blues.

It would have been the 28-year-old's second spell in France after he spent a few months of 2003 at Beziers. After finally breaking into the Welsh team in the autumn of 2008, Powell was dropped from the squad earlier this year after he was caught driving a golf buggy on the motorway hours after Wales' Six Nations victory over Scotland.

On the subject of unmanageable players, Agen legend Rupeni Caucaunibuca is set to resume training this week despite being linked with three Australian Super 15 outfits.

"Of course he will play at Agen next season," Tingaud told Rugbyrama. "I've asked him to come back in good condition, around 110kg so that he can be the top scorer in the Top 14," he added.

Caucau's presence is never a given, of course. Despite scoring 65 tries in six seasons at Stade Armandie, the Fijian has been at the centre of controversial incidents, missing pre-season training in 2006 due to a 'tropical virus' and picking up a three-month ban for cannabis use in 2007. Just last month, he took advantage of his return to Fiji's colours against Australia by declaring himself keen to join a Super 15 franchise in the country.

As a promoted side, Agen's transfer window remains ajar, but missing out on Powell leaves Biarritz outside half Valentin Courrent as their star signing to date, although Argentine centre Miguel Avramovic does have eight Pumas caps to his name and Tongan centre Manu Ahotaeiloa already has a feel for the place after spending three years at Agen before leaving for Toulouse in 2008.

The club, back in the top-flight after a three-year absence, have also picked up a couple of speed merchants in experienced Sevens wingers Kevin Swiryn (USA) and Osea Kolinisau (Fiji).

Agen's confirmed arrivals and departures

In
Karim Kouider (prop) Pau
Mosese Moala (prop) Biarritz
Beka Sheklashvili (prop) Montauban
Gert Hendrik Muller (prop) Lions, South Africa
Brice Mach (hooker) Montauban
Maxime Machenaud (scrum-half) Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Valentin Courrent (outside-half) Biarritz
Manu Ahotaeiloa (centre) Toulouse
Miguel Avramovic (centre) Pampas XV, Argentina
Kevin Swiryn (winger) Old Puget Sound Beach, USA
Osea Kolinisau (winger) Suva, Fiji
Florent Cazeaux (full back) Mont de Marsan

Out
Thomas Synaeghel (prop) Dax
Anton Peikrishvili (prop) Castres
Max Carabignac (scrum-half) Albi
Romain Sola (outside-half) Albi
Yoann Huget (winger) Bayonne
Sofiane Guitoune (winger) Albi
Francois Gelez (outside-half) Retired
Agustin Lopresti (prop) Retired