7th Tackle: The Aussie star helping Barba in France

Ben Barba has fallen on his feet in the south of France.

He’s been staying with Toulon teammate Drew Mitchell, who resides in an impressive beachside pad. Mitchell has been teaching Barba the language, and he’s picking it up quite well.

Barba’s partner Ainslie and his four beautiful daughters will fly over to Europe just in time to witness his rugby debut next week, during which he will play either fullback or centre.

It’s been quite a transformation for Barba, who was flat broke just over a month ago.

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The situation was so dire that his manager generously dug into his own pocket to meet the player’s mortgage repayments.