Patrick Arlettaz, co-entraîneur des Bleus malgré lui
Patrick Arlettaz est un personnage de l’ombre que rien de destinait à se retrouver dans la lumière bleue. Et pourtant, aujourd’hui, c’est lui qui passe les coups de fil aux joueurs sélectionnés dans le groupe France pour préparer le Tournoi des Six Nations 2024.
En juin 2023, c’est lui qui en a reçu un, de la part de Fabien Galthié, sélectionneur du XV de France, quelques jours après la promotion de son équipe de Perpignan dans le Top 14 après avoir battu Grenoble dans le match d’accession.
Un déjeuner d’avril 2023
Il pensait lever un peu le pied après une bonne partie de sa carrière passée à l’USAP, son club de toujours (il est aussi passé à Narbonne et Montpellier). Il est né à Perpignan (il y a 51 ans), a joué à Perpignan (1992-1996) et a entraîné à Perpignan (2012-2023).
Et c’est à Perpignan que les liens se sont noués avec Galthié au fil des ans, jusqu’à ce déjeuner d’avril 2023 qu’il raconte à L’Equipe. « On était dans un coin là-bas (il pointe une table de l’autre côté du restaurant), on a commencé le repas à midi, on est partis à 18h », raconte-t-il.
« On a sorti les stylos, fait des schémas sur des nappes. Et là, je me suis dit que ça l’intéressait beaucoup quand même, qu’il me posait beaucoup de questions. Nos échanges ont continué et il m’a annoncé la bonne nouvelle en juin. »
Une sélection en passant
Patrick Arlettaz ne s’est pas fait prier pour intégrer le staff des Bleus en remplacement de Laurent Labit, parti au Stade Français Paris, même si absolument rien ne le prédisposait à se rapprocher de l’équipe de France. Il ne compte en effet qu’une seule sélection en bleu, en 1995 contre la Roumanie (il a marqué un doublé).
« C’était une sélection en passant qui venait me remercier, me féliciter pour les quelques saisons que j’avais fait à l’USAP, mais ça s’est arrêté très vite. J’ai toujours été un joueur de club », a-t-il évoqué sur France Bleu Roussillon.
Il a un côté Gérard Darmon, Patrick Arlettaz, accentué par sa façon de prendre du recul sur sa nouvelle vie, lui qui pense encore que Galthié aurait pu « prendre d’autres noms, plus clinquants, plus bankables, plus lisses, plus cadres Fédé… » que le sien, comme il le détaille dans L’Equipe.
Il y confi être « excité, stressé, impatient (…) J’y vais avec beaucoup de modestie, je ne connais pas du tout ce type de fonctionnement ». Il ne connait pas les joueurs intimement, mais parfaitement sur le plan rugbystique. Il espère néanmoins être digne de la mission qui lui a été confiée et c’est, pour lui, le plus important.
Son mantra : ne pas décevoir ceux qui ont confiance en lui
« J’ai toujours fonctionné comme ça : ne pas décevoir les gens qui me font confiance », dit-il encore. « D’un autre côté, je me dis que s’il l’a fait, c’est aussi pour ma personnalité, pour que je vienne en étant moi-même. Ça me va bien cette histoire. »
Amateur de beau jeu – celui des Néo-Zélandais, des Irlandais et des Français, pas celui des Sud-Africains, assure-t-il ; « j’ai une philosophie qui va plus vers la possession, la prise d’initiatives » – on le dit exalté, très humain, courageux, prêt à prendre des risques, magnifique conteur, adoré de ses joueurs et adepte des punchlines, sauce catalane : « Je ne veux voir que des ‘teignous’, il faut aller au maille, fraï ! », rapporte le Midi Libre.
Il se prépare à prendre des coups, comme il en a si souvent pris à Perpignan. « Ce qui m’importe le plus, c’est de convaincre les joueurs. S’ils disent à un moment donné que je ne suis pas au niveau, ça me ferait mal. Les autres, comme je n’ai ni Instagram, ni Facebook, je les laisse commenter », assure-t-il.
Les premiers éléments de réponse seront visibles dès le 2 février lorsque la France recevra l’Irlande à Marseille. Plus sûrement au terme du dernier match du Tournoi 2024 face à l’Angleterre le 16 mars à Lyon.
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ is now entrenched in Div 2 of womens rugby. Canada would be thrashed by the likes of France or England. Europe are Div 1, with massive competitions, massive money…
1 Go to commentsBlackadder dies not deserve selection. He has not played enough games. Finau is just better. Kaino's replacement at Blindside On form TJ should be the starting 9 .
127 Go to commentsThe difference is Cotter..
5 Go to commentsThey can’t handle the level of comp in the NH. Pollard was a complete waste at Montpellier - and was the backup 12 when he left. Kitschoff was stealing his paycheque every week at Ulster,- getting absolutely rinsed by backup THs in the URC. There is a reason all the Boks go to Japan - they don’t have it in them to be able to compete. And yes, they won the RWC. Where Barnes and O'Keeffe were the direct reason for that tragedy occurring.
36 Go to commentsTrouble with Jones is he has so many impractical innovations. Kemeney wasn't good enough in any position for top level test rugby. I like how Vern has Papalii playing. He's always had the workrate when in form, although I'm not sure that he quite has Cane's mongrel.
9 Go to commentsPut those results on the old CV and send it in to the crusaders bro.
1 Go to commentsJust go with a top 6 system where the top 2 teams go straight to the semi-finals and the other 4 teams fight it out for the other 2 semi-final spots.
8 Go to commentsIt’s a shame that Baxter wasn’t nominated for DoR of the season. what he did is more impressive than McCall imo
1 Go to commentsSeveral boks said during World Cup they play so hard to give people back home hope. As an Englishman the Springboks Captain’s life story is an inspiration which should give us all hope and inspiration. Rather like that other great South African, Nelson Mandela
36 Go to commentsFox News, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan? Yikes.
1 Go to commentsThat is harsh though. Messi has/had a reputation for trying to keep his feet and keep dribbling for goal. Many of his brethren were the histrionic divers but not him.
2 Go to commentsMcReight is certainly one of the first picked. He’s going to be the glue, a Wallaby with some rugby IQ and the everywhere man for the Wallabies.
9 Go to commentsSophie De Goede is one of the best players we’ve ever produced. Kicked all the points, 2 try assists, line out takes, carries, tackles, charge downs… what a player
1 Go to commentsThe guy had just beasted himself in a scrum and the blood hadn't yet returned to his head when he was pushed into a team mate. He took his weight off his left foot precisely at the moment he was shoved and dropped to the floor when seemingly trying to avoid stepping on Hyron Andrews’ foot. I don't think he was trying to milk a penalty, I think he was knackered but still switched on enough to avoid planting 120kgs on the dorsum of his second row’s foot. To effectively “police” such incidents with a (noble) view to eradicating play acting in rugby, yet more video would need to be reviewed in real time, which is not in the interest of the game as a sporting spectacle. I would far rather see Farrell penalised for interfering with the refereeing of the game. Perhaps he was right to be frustrated, he was much closer to the action than the only camera angle I've seen, however his vocal objection to Rodd’s falling over doesn't legitimately fall into the captain's role as the mouthpiece of his team - he should have kept his frustration to himself, that's one of the pillars of rugby union. I appreciate that he was within his rights to communicate with the referee as captain but he didn't do this, he moaned and attempted to sway the decision by directing his complaint to the player rather than the ref. Rugby needs to look closely at the message it wants to send to young players and amateur grassroots rugby. The best way to do this would be to apply the laws as they are written and edit them where the written laws no longer apply. If this means deleting laws such as ‘the put in to the scrum must be straight”, so be it. Likewise, if it is no longer necessary to respect the referee’s decision without questioning it or pre-emptively attempting to sway it (including by diving or by shouting and gesticulating) then this behaviour should be embraced (and commercialised). Otherwise any reference to respecting the referee should be deleted from the laws. You have to start somewhere to maintain the values of rugby and the best place to start would be giving a penalty and a warning against the offending player, followed by a yellow card the next time. People like Farrell would rapidly learn to keep quiet and let their skills do the talking.
1 Go to commentsThe name “Kwagga” came to mind while I was reading this. And there’s another Sevens convert roaming the wide open kant at the Lions now - JC Pretorius. Keep an eye on him.
9 Go to comments2024 Rugby Championship: Sat, 10 Aug 2024 – Sat, 28 Sept 2024. Looking forward to watching the All Blacks coached by Scott Robertson, with or without the ‘dynamic’ qualities of Shannon Michael Frizell - see his display against South Africa at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium on July 15.
1 Go to commentsI agree about 8 being too many The English premiership has top four only Top 14 has six URC has 8 I think 6 would be fine It gives those other two teams an incentive But rewarding a team in perhaps 8th with three wins is atrocious If they get in they know they only need one big game
8 Go to commentsInteresting article. I think the answer lies in a comment Kwagga Smith made during the World Cup. Asked whether it bothers him that the Bok team doesn’t get more credit he said: “We don’t play for people to respect us: we play for each other and we play for South Africa.” The Springbok team is a brotherhood - an incredibly tight unit, most of whom are good friends off the pitch as well. Not only do they not want to let South Africa down, but they fight like crazy not to let their teammates down. Not saying they don’t care about their club teammates, but I think the bond shared in the Boks is just much, much deeper. Tough to forge the same sort of bond at a club over a handful of years. That must translate into superior performances for country over club.
36 Go to commentsThere is very little creativity in the 9-10 axis for SA. 10 needs to be solid, put the work in and kick the points. the SA counter is almost always via the edge or a kick through for a winger. When was the last offensive backline score from SA against a top team? Perhaps the ultra physical nature of the SA teams means players they get to hit more stats in those games. Maybe the SA pleyers are perfectly suited to the SA system. In other Words they are not club players gathered to play SA Internationals. They are SA International players adapting to play club.
36 Go to commentsJust what you want your prop doing 😂
2 Go to comments