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Tevita Tatafu a rendez-vous avec le XV de France

Le pilier de Bayonne Tevita Tatafu ici lors du match de Top14 entre la Section Paloise et l'Aviron Bayonnais au Stade du Hameau à Pau, le 14 septembre 2024, devrait rejoindre l'équipe de France lors du prochain rassemblement. (Photo by GAIZKA IROZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Avec AFP

Tongien de naissance, mais désormais sélectionnable après cinq ans de résidence en France, le massif Bayonnais Tevita Tatafu, opposé samedi à Bordeaux-Bègles, son probable futur club, coche toutes les cases pour devenir le pilier droit des Bleus de demain.

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Dans le sport américain, on parlerait de « prospect », ces athlètes qui n’ont pas encore atteint le plus haut niveau de leur sport mais ont le potentiel pour y parvenir. À l’échelle du rugby, Tevita Tatafu, 22 ans le 13 octobre prochain, est de ceux-là.

Au point qu’une première sélection est quasiment promise, sauf blessure ou suspension, à ce colosse de 1,83 m pour 150 kg, lors de la prochaine tournée de novembre face au Japon, la Nouvelle-Zélande et l’Argentine, après un premier stage avec le groupe France en juin.

« Tevita a franchi un cap la saison dernière », résume son manager à l’Aviron Grégory Patat. « Il a toutes les caractéristiques pour le rugby moderne. Il est explosif avec le ballon, il est dominant, il met de l’intensité sur chaque collision, ses adversaires à mal… C’est un point d’ancrage super intéressant pour notre équipe. Et n’oublions pas son jeune âge. Avoir déjà ce potentiel et ce temps de jeu à cet âge, ça augure d’un avenir intéressant ».

Tatafu, « une petite boule de bonheur » de 150 kg

Encore mineur quand il a débarqué sur les bords de la Nive en 2019 sur les recommandations de son oncle Toma Taufa aujourd’hui à l’UBB, Tatafu s’est entraîné avec les espoirs sans pouvoir disputer le moindre match.

Pilier gauche à l’origine, il a été fixé à droite par son entraîneur d’alors François Navarron, avant d’exploser à ce poste avec l’équipe première (59 matches disputés, 37 titularisations).

« Tevita, c’est une petite boule de bonheur », s’enthousiasme son équipier Baptiste Heguy. « Il est déconneur tout en étant discret. Il a un grand coeur, y compris sur le terrain. Il aime défier tout le monde ».

Un temps freiné par son cardio et ses 150 kilos, il repousse aujourd’hui ses limites, comme un certain Uini Atonio, le massif pilier droit des Bleus que Patat a connu à La Rochelle : « On lui cassait les bonbons avec son poids mais quand on l’a lâché avec ça, il était mieux dans sa tête et son rugby. On a pris cette option avec Tevita, tout en le cadrant un minimum ».

« Quand j’en vois certains me dire que Tevita est trop gros… Rien à foutre s’il me ‘décalbombe’ (fait exploser, NDLR) les mecs en mêlée et en met trois sur le cul en prenant le ballon », sourit Camille Lopez, l’ouvreur international qui a aussi eu des soucis de poids dans sa carrière. « S’il est bien comme ça, c’est l’essentiel ».

Bayonne ou Bordeaux-Bègles l’an prochain ?

Samedi, le stade Chaban-Delmas de Bordeaux aura un œil avisé sur le phénomène, qui doit normalement renforcer l’été prochain les rangs de l’UBB et retrouver ainsi son oncle et peut-être son cousin et parfait homonyme Tevita Tatafu qui a choisi de représenter le Japon. Mais l’affaire est loin d’être entérinée.

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Bien que sous contrat jusqu’en 2026 avec Bayonne, le nouvel agent de Tatafu et le club girondin se sont appuyés sur une clause de son contrat permettant sa libération contre 500 000 euros. La même qui avait occasionné le départ d’un autre pilier bayonnais, Matis Perchaud, pour l’UBB cet été.

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Problème, cette clause n’existerait plus selon le président basque Philippe Tayeb qui ne veut faire aucun cadeau à son ancien manager Yannick Bru – qui a lancé Tatafu en pro en 2021 – surtout après leur fin d’aventure commune à l’Aviron en 2022 et leur altercation publique en avril dernier à Jean-Dauger lors de la dernière opposition entre les deux équipes.

Visionnez gratuitement le documentaire en cinq épisodes “Chasing the Sun 2” sur RugbyPass TV (*non disponible en Afrique), qui raconte le parcours des Springboks dans leur quête pour défendre avec succès leur titre de Champions du monde de rugby

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1 Comment
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GrandDisse 165 days ago

Il était excellent l'année dernière, mais pour le moment je n'ai pas l'impression qu'il fasse un grand début de saison.

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