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Tevita Tatafu, « conforme » aux attentes du staff

Tevita Tatafu, jeune d'origine tongienne qui peut prétendre à porter le maillot du XV de France à l’automne prochain, reste avec le groupe dirigé par Fabien Galthié en cette fin juin 2024. Photo : Willy Billiard

C’est désormais une certitude. Le pilier droit de 21 ans Tevita Tatafu ne pourra jouer ni contre l’Argentine, ni contre l’Uruguay. « Une question de règlement », confirme Laurent Sempéré, entraîneur de la touche et des tâches spécifiques du XV de France, sans en connaître toutes les subtilités.

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Néanmoins, le jeune d’origine tongienne, qui peut prétendre à porter le maillot du XV de France à l’automne prochain, reste avec le groupe dirigé par Fabien Galthié en cette fin juin. Pour le staff, c’est une sorte d’investissement sur l’avenir.

« Ce qui est hyper important pour nous est de pouvoir le voir en chair et en os, de le voir à l’œuvre, voir comment il arrive à s’intégrer, à développer notre jeu, comment il est avec les autres joueurs », explique Laurent Sempéré.

« C’est aussi important pour lui de se rendre compte de l’exigence du très haut niveau, de ce que font les joueurs qui ont plus d’expérience à son poste. C’est du temps pour lui. On se projette dans l’avenir pour qu’il puisse challenger les autres et qu’il puisse faire partie de ce groupe. »

Au nom du staff dans son ensemble, Sempéré confirme que le jeune Bayonnais confirme ce qu’il pense de lui et est « conforme » aux attentes.

« En tous points », sourit-il. « On connait son potentiel et ses points forts. On avait identifié ce sur quoi il pouvait progresser. C’est aussi pour ça qu’on voulait qu’il vienne cette semaine, pour confirmer notre avis sur tout ça et que lui se rende compte également du travail qu’il pouvait faire pour exploiter tout son potentiel. »

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Did the best of Ireland leave with Johnny Sexton and Stuart Lancaster?

Lets hope the North can have some sort of renaissance now if Sexton had been the cherished one of the game up there, it will help elevate the game to the next level. Because there is a lot of 'woe is now' talk over the last two weeks, something or someone needs to light the fire again.


Otherwise though, using a bit of sanity, Ireland and the rest just need to reset and adjust to the new (same old) dynamic of dominance. They have the ability to compete still but this sort of talk or that of sacking Faz will send the game back a decade to where the story of this article begins.


Personally, I would have Faz to have continued with Lancasters sideways attack through the WC (and going forward/now). He was successful then of pulling off tough fought victories like that against SA (WC and this year) but I think it veering far from the winning DNA Lancaster had instilled. Teams might have found them out, but even without Lancaster onboard I'd have liked to see the three other coaching groups, along with Irelands, continue on to work out the weekends of of that structure. To me it looks to have been jettisoned completely and I'm lost for words as to why.


Is it just that the standard of the URC is not good enough, at least in this early stage of the season, to get players match ready for Test match football? Why are they starting late into the window, and not playing their second game of the season? All the excuses I'm hearing aren't painting the picture of NH rugby in a good light for me, theyre looking at all the wrong areas. The fusion of Nienaber and Irish rugby should be producing a golden period of dual strengths but unfortunately Ireland already put paid to that possibility even before Jacques got a chance to mold it for them.


They do need to take a cold hard look at who they are, what made them good, and what they want to be. NZ have done that this year with Razor and it has not been easy to prepare to dig in for some hard times.

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M
Mzilikazi 1 hour ago
Did the best of Ireland leave with Johnny Sexton and Stuart Lancaster?

Interesting piece, Nick. I have had concerns, and have oft commented, regarding some of Andy Farrell's decisions on substitutions in matches, and his failure to expose younger upcoming players to International rugby, sticking with players who are, in my view, well past their peak glory days.


Substitutions: The defeat at RWC France by the AB's will haunt me for the rest of my life. The ageing Sexton ,tiring and pressured, being kept on the field the full 80 mins, and the younger Jack Crowley not getting on the field.


We saw a similar decision again last Friday night, when Crowley was again the man involved. He was at worst playing a competent game, especially given the forward woes in the lineout and at the breakdown. This time he was replaced by Frawley, who had a horror stint. To compound this, Conor Murray replaced JGP. That was a mistake in my view. JGP should have gone the full 80 mins, Murray should never have been in the 23. More on that below.


Failure to develop young players: Farrell is increasingly showing reticence to give young players game time at this level. Craig Casey is Munster's first choice now, has a good flat pass, clever kicking game, and is Crowley's halfback. Yet Murray is still on the bench for Ireland. Highlander, NZ commenter from "the other place" calls him "glacially slow" now.

Powerful Munster backrower Gavin Coombes is on the outer, and John Hodnett at 7, also Munster, should be given a look too.

71 Go to comments
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LONG READ Did the best of Ireland leave with Johnny Sexton and Stuart Lancaster? Did the best of Ireland leave with Johnny Sexton and Stuart Lancaster?
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