Bastareaud must switch position if he wants to continue his French Test career - Castaignede
Thomas Castaignede believes Mathieu Bastareaud could launch a new international career at No8 for France, insisting the Toulon centre is now too slow to command a place in the back division.
Castaignede’s radical idea comes hot on the heels of Eddie Jones’s belief that wing Jack Nowell could operate as a ninth forward for England. Castaignede, who won 54 caps for France, told RugbyPass: “I really like Mathieu and he is a really good guy, but for me he is not a centre for France – he is a backrow.
“To play the modern game you need quick guys in the backs and as a No8, Bastareaud could be even better than Louis Picamoles in this position. Mentally it will be difficult for Bastareaud to accept this kind of move but he would be tremendous and he would help the French team. And, we need him.
“Rugby has changed massively and if you want to play the modern game with the ball in play for more than 40 minutes the you need players who can adapt. As a centre Bastareaud is running slower than the other guys, but he would be faster than other back row players so use that strength. At La Rochelle, Levani Botia plays centre and flanker but for me Bastareaud is a No8 and while it could difficult to move position, if you bring value to the team then you can be massive as an impact player.”
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France’s 24-19 defeat by Wales after they led 16-0 has initiated plenty of debate about the state of the national team and Castaignede admits to being “ scared” about what may happen to his countrymen at Twickenham on Sunday. His worries revolve around coach Jacques Brunel’s selection, handling of key players and replacement of captain Guilhem Guirado early in the second half of matches.
The former Toulouse and Saracens favourite explained “It is really strange to take your experienced players off before the last 20 minutes. You have a player like Guilhem Guirado who is a very good player and a fighter, but how can you take him out of the game always between 50th and 60th minutes?
“If that is always happening then you need to pick someone else as captain who can be on the pitch as long as possible because the hardest moments of any match are the last 20 minutes. You must have someone who can give direction. At the same time France got rid of Morgan Parra who came back into favour with Bastareaud out of the team. Parra was the tactical director with a clear mind and then you pull him out of the game along with Louis Picamoles.
“Then the team is like a boat without captain giving direction which leads to this incredible situation where no one in the team knows who is the boss. Everyone is wondering who is in charge?
“At Toulouse, Antoine Dupont is the best player in the French championship and he is not even selected. He is the one who makes the difference and can save a team by creating the gaps and is the best No9 and No10 in France. We have good players but the coaches must think about their mistakes in selection.”
“I am really scared for Sunday at Twickenham. We do have talented players and Toulouse did beat Leinster but the problem is that we have lost our confidence, philosophy and leadership at international level and it is a massive mess. It is frustrating and scary because on Sunday if we don’t show up then it could be even worse.
“In the first half against Wales the level was very good even thought it was the worst half for Wales in a very long time. In the second half Wales were tremendous and we gave them the game without doing anything fantastic. England can create great things with some really talented and skilful players with all different kind of threats.
“Of course you never know with France and we cannot be as bad as we have shown in the last few games.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments