Gael Fickou is back and needs to stay
French flyer Gael Fickou put on a masterclass display in his first test start at centre for over a year.
Following incumbent midfielder Geoffrey Doumayrou’s concussion during last weekend’s loss against South Africa, 24-year-old Fickou was thrust into the No. 12 jersey for Saturday’s clash with Argentina – an opportunity he grabbed with both hands – as he tries to bust his way back into the starting lineup.
2018 has been a tumultuous year for the impressive young talent. After struggling with injury and not being included in head coach Jacques Brunel’s original Six Nations squad, Fickou had made just three starts for France this year before Saturday.
After six years with Top 14 side Toulouse, Fickou joined Stade Francais on a five-year deal starting with their 2018-19 campaign. He has been in scintillating form for his new club and currently leads the competition with seven tries from seven matches – showing the kind of talent that earned him an international debut at the age of 18.
When the aforementioned Doumayrou went down against South Africa last weekend, Brunel called Fickou’s number. When Doumayrou was subsequently ruled out for the following match against Argentina, Brunel backed Fickou’s form and was rewarded handsomely.
“He has started the season very well. He deserves his place,” Brunel said in the lead-up to the match. “We’re aware of Gael’s current form which merits a spot in the team so we’ll take advantage of his form.”
After throwing away a 23-9 lead against South Africa one week earlier, Brunel’s side needed a spark as they tried to snap a five-game skid – and they found one.
Starting at inside centre, Fickou cut the Argentine defence to shreds. He finished an 80-minute shift as one of the best players on the park, notching 58 run metres, a clean break, six defenders beaten and one impressive try assist to outside running mate Teddy Thomas.
The blockbusting performance proved that Fickou holds the key to unlocking France’s attacking potential, and that he deserves a place in the starting side.
With his first touch he drew two defenders and sent Maxime Medard through a half-gap before the fullback spilled the ball. Despite the break ending in an error, his impact was clear after just two minutes as he began to chip away at the Puma defence.
Fickou was easily France’s most impressive player with ball in hand, showcasing an uncanny ability to create attacking opportunities out of thin air and put his teammates into space. A knack for turning nothing into something is a trait that only a few of world rugby’s best possess.
The catalyst for a majority of the French attack, Fickou’s early touches laid the foundation for a big bust in the second half that created what would prove to be the deciding try.
After a tightly contested first half and France holding a slim 11-10 lead over an Argentine side that have been punching above their weight all year, the big midfielder brought his side to life with a scything run followed by an incredible longball to put Thomas away for his second try of the match.
#FRAARG #NeFaisonsXV L’exploit de @FickouG ! Le centre tricolore mystifie la défense argentine et adresse une merveille de passe à @TeddyThoms qui s’offre un doublé. Les Bleus reprennent les commandes ??
??Suivez France – Argentine en direct vidéo : https://t.co/EdUUPZizEG pic.twitter.com/nn4uMTBFaO— France tv sport (@francetvsport) November 17, 2018
What stands out about Fickou’s play style is his ability to dictate the pace of the game and freeze defenders in their tracks. On several occasions he went from being flat-footed to weaving through several defenders, catching the Argentine defence off guard as he cut through the line.
His ability as a distributor – showcased with his cutout to Thomas – and threat as an offloader in the tackle gives him more than one dimension to work with. He also showcased his kicking game against Argentina, testing the goal line defence with a grubber for Thomas that was inches from being regathered.
His work off the ball, notably in the build-up to Thomas’ first try, cannot be understated either. After Yoann Huget broke the line from a lineout strike play, Fickou ran a line on Huget’s inside shoulder, drawing in an extra defender and helping to create a two-on-one for Benjamin Fall and try-scorer Teddy Thomas.
His per-game numbers in a French shirt this season make an impressive case for his continued inclusion ahead of Doumayrou.
In eight matches, Fickou is carving off an impressive 13.4 metres per carry and is a threat to offload and break the line each outing.
His defensive numbers are also sound, tackling at an 87% clip with 26 made from 30 attempts. Doumayrou – often picked on the merits of his defence – is tackling at 88%, with a slightly larger sample size of 52 makes from 59 attempts.
A string of performances like the one he had against Argentina should cement the midfielder back in Brunel’s starting lineup for the foreseeable future – a place many hoped he would be after his debut in 2013.
Still just 24 years old and already a 40-test veteran, Fickou still has plenty left to give French rugby and may have one final audition in 2018 as the Rugby World Cup nears.
After being in and out of the French squad for the better part of five years – but producing magic when given the chance – it’s a guarantee that he will make the most of another opportunity if it is presented.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Well that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
2 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
19 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
19 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to comments