Andrew Sheridan reveals he does not expect to be on Lions tour to Australia Sheridan has thrived in France. As Jonny Wilkinson, so with the former Sale Sharks prop. With an echo of his Toulon team-mate, Sheridan's last years in England were blighted by injury. He was an early casualty during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, on the plane home nursing a dislocated shoulder. He has had several operations and saw little active service. Some felt he was bound for the knacker's yard. Instead he headed towards a rather more appealing destination, the Côte d'Azur. He is not the only person in many generations to find that part of the world works wonders on the soul as well as the body. Sheridan is expected to start against Saracens. It will be his 30th match of the season with the prospect of more to come as Toulon tilt for a domestic and European double. It is many years since he came anywhere close to that tally of games in a season. "Incredible, isn't it," said Sheridan in his trademark laconic manner. Do you think it might be the climate? Or the wine? Probably both. Look, it's been great. I came here to play and to contribute, not to put my feet up. I can understand how people viewed me - he's past it, seen better days, all washed up. It was a fact, not an opinion. I didn't play much. I certainly wasn't able to contribute much to Sale. The criticisms of me were fair. The lifestyle here is very good. It's not as if the rugby is any less attritional because it certainly is not. I'm thoroughly enjoying my time. It was well worth coming here. Sheridan signed for two years last summer with an option for a third. There was such concern over his recent injury record that the contract extension would only be activated if he were able to play in 50 per cent of Toulon's games. He has managed much more than that. The scrummage is an elemental part of French rugby, viewed as a machismo statement of a side's intent. Power, not flair, is the essence of their game. Yet, as with so many round the rugby-playing world, Sheridan has concerns as to the way the scrum is being managed. All too often it has been a scar on a match, a horrible weal itched and aggravated by pedantic refereeing and gamesmanship by opponents. Sheridan fears that unless it is sorted out by administrators it will only fuel the prejudices of those who would like to see the scrum's influence downgraded. "There are those who think the scrum is a pain in the a--- and we are just giving them ammunition with the amount of incomplete scrums there are these days," said Sheridan. It would be to the huge detriment of the sport if we were ever to lose it. And we don't need to. I like the idea of a pre-bind that they are trialling in the Pacific Cup at the moment. You still get a bit of a hit and not so many collapses. There is a big meeting about the scrum in May. Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be hot air. By that stage Toulon will be well on their way to finding out if they are to get a return on the enormous investments in the team made by owner Mourad Boudjellal. They lost two finals last season, the coveted Top 14 title going to Toulouse while for the second time in three years Toulon lost in the final of the Amlin Cup. "There is a misconception about Toulon that we're all just a bunch of mercenaries and the club is all about money," said Sheridan. That's not the way it is. They have their own proud history dating back generations. This is a special rugby place. The Mayol [Toulon's stadium] is just an incredible place to be on match day. The whole town is involved. And, of course, there is a great desire for silverware. We're not a young group. This is our chance. We don't want to have any regrets. Sheridan, 33, already has two Wine and Spirit Education Trust diplomas to his name, exams he passed in London before he left England. He intends to look into a post-rugby career in the wine trade. He will certainly be entitled to raise a glass of his favourite red on Sunday night should he help Toulon reach their first ever Heineken Cup final.