Les partenaires d’entraînement des Bleus au cœur des discussions
C’est ce mercredi 13 décembre que la Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) et la Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) vont s’entretenir pour revoir la convention qui les lie. Cette convention est censée faciliter le passage des joueurs internationaux des clubs à l’équipe nationale et inversement.
Le sélectionneur de l’équipe de France, Fabien Galthié, participera à cette réunion depuis Marcoussis où il commencera à partager son analyse sur la campagne tronquée de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023.
Mais c’est surtout la deuxième partie de l’ordre du jour qui est très attendue avec la volonté du nouveau staff d’obtenir les mêmes moyens dont il bénéficiait au fil des années précédentes. Parmi ces moyens, Galthié souhaite notamment la mise à disposition de 42 joueurs pour préparer les matchs des Bleus.
Le président de la LNR, René Bouscatel, a déjà indiqué que le cadre de la convention ne changerait pas jusqu’en 2027.
On ne touche pas aux 42, mais…
Si le principe des 42 joueurs ne semble pas remis en cause par une partie des dirigeants du Top 14, c’est leur répartition qui devrait faire réagir. « Être à 42 nous permet d’avoir deux équipes de 21 pour travailler à haute intensité sur deux journées, sans dégrader la qualité », a toujours dit Fabien Galthié.
« Le nombre de 42, avancé à l’époque par Fabien Galthié, est un mode de fonctionnement qui est propre à 80-90% des clubs de Top 14 », indique Ugo Mola, manager du Stade Toulousain interrogé à ce sujet par L’Equipe dans son édition du 13 décembre.
« On a tous besoin de continuer à s’entraîner à 42 parce qu’on a quand même des échéances. »
Sur les 42 mobilisés pour préparer une rencontre internationale, 23 sont assurés d’aller jusqu’au bout (les quinze titulaires et les huit remplaçants), cinq ont un espoir, même minime de jouer (ils sont réservistes et donc mobilisables en cas de souci de dernière minute).
Reste 14 joueurs qui jouent les partenaires d’entraînement, ce qu’on nomme dans le jargon les « sparring partners », qui sont généralement libérés le mercredi soir de leurs engagements avec le XV de France et remis à disposition de leur club pour jouer ou non le week-end suivant – sachant qu’ils ont manqué une partie des entraînements de leur club durant la semaine.
Que faire des 14 partenaires d’entraînement
Or c’est précisément sur ce point que les discussions pourraient s’enclencher entre la Fédé et la Ligue. « C’est vrai que les garçons qui ont vécu ce rôle de partenaires d’entrainement pendant deux, trois, quatre saisons peuvent estimer que c’est un peu lourd à gérer. Ils perdent un peu le rythme, ils ne sont ni en club, ni en équipe de France, c’est un peu pesant », indique Ugo Mola dans les colonnes de L’Equipe.
L’idée serait par exemple de faire tourner cet effectif afin que ce ne soit pas toujours les mêmes joueurs concernés qui jouent ce rôle, quitte à faire appel aux moins de 20 ans pour compléter l’effectif.
Il faudrait ainsi voir qui, comment et pour combien de temps ces partenaires d’entraînement seraient mis à disposition du XV de France. Jean-Marc Lhermet, vice-président de la FFR délégué au haut niveau, fixe un cadre d’emblée : « repartir sur un nouveau cycle, avec une nouvelle organisation, la plus simple possible. Ce qu’on veut éviter, c’est d’avoir une usine à gaz ».
Comments on RugbyPass
‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments