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Voilà pourquoi Maxime Lucu est considéré comme un porte-bonheur pour les Bleus
La fracture de la pommette du demi de mêlée et l’opération qui s’en est suivie est peut-être la blessure la plus médiatisée de l’histoire de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby. Mais pour l’équipe de Fabien Galthié, il s’agit maintenant de faire sans son capitaine. Le Bordelais Maxime Lucu est chargé de porter le numéro 9 face à leurs adversaires du Six Nations, un joueur dont Galthié a déclaré cette semaine qu’il ne nous avait « jamais déçus ». En fait, le joueur de 30 ans a fait un peu plus que cela.
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Depuis ses débuts en novembre 2021 contre la Géorgie, Lucu a joué 17 fois avec les Bleus. Et les a gagnées toutes !
A noter qu’il n’a été titularisé qu’à cinq reprises, dont la majorité contre le Japon, ce qui revient à dire que Dupont a souvent fait le boulot pour mener la France à la victoire avant d’être remplacé. Le demi de mêlée en est bien conscient, mais cela ne l’a pas empêché de plaisanter sur le fait qu’il pourrait être le « porte-bonheur » de la France, lorsqu’on l’a interrogé sur son bilan avant le match contre l’Italie.
De doublure à incontournable
« Je ne sais pas si je suis un porte-bonheur », sourit Maxime Lucu. « Dans certains matchs, j’entre en jeu pour deux minutes, donc le travail a déjà été fait par les joueurs avant moi. Si je peux jouer ce rôle jusqu’à la fin de la Coupe du monde, pourquoi pas ? Mais les victoires sont plus dues au travail de l’équipe. »
Maxime Lucu est passé d’un rôle de doublure derrière le meneur Dupont à un rôle de vedette dans l’équipe de France, mais il affirme qu’il apporte quelque chose de différent à l’équipe de Galthié par rapport à celui qui avait été élu par ses pairs Joueur World Rugby de l’Année en 2021.
« La pression est là depuis deux semaines maintenant », reconnaît-il. « Après la blessure d’Antoine. La blessure d’un capitaine est un facteur important dans une Coupe du monde. J’ai reçu beaucoup de messages, mais j’ai éteint mon téléphone et je me suis concentré sur les deux dernières semaines.
Profiter de l’instant
« L’équipe de France, c’est un groupe de 33 joueurs, et chacun a un rôle important. Si on est là, c’est qu’on a un rôle à jouer. Pour moi, c’est ce week-end.
« Mon jeu est différent de celui d’Antoine, donc il n’y a pas de comparaison possible. C’est ce que j’essaie de faire depuis dix jours, de gérer l’attente, la pression et le rôle que j’ai à jouer. Mais avant tout, je veux profiter de l’instant présent.
« Quand on est remplaçant d’Antoine, le capitaine et le numéro neuf, on est préparé [à avoir peu de temps de jeu]. Ce sont des choses que l’on travaille. Au niveau international, le 9 et le 10 ont un rôle important à jouer pour faire avancer l’équipe et appliquer la stratégie. Les gestionnaires du jeu doivent être bons, et vendredi, je dois être bon dans ces domaines. »
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Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘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.
4 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 comments