Le retour attendu de Virimi Vakatawa sur la scène internationale
RugbyPass est en mesure de révéler que l’ancien international français Virimi Vakatawa s’apprête à faire un retour en force sur la scène internationale, onze mois après avoir été contraint de prendre sa retraite.
Le 5 septembre 2022, le Racing 92 annonçait que le talentueux centre avait été interdit de jouer au rugby en France en raison d’un problème médical décelé quelques années plus tôt, confirmé par la suite comme étant une « anomalie cardiaque ».
« Il doit arrêter sa carrière en France pour motif cardiologique […] Une anomalie cardiaque avait été détectée avant le Mondial 2019 au Japon. Cette anomalie, qui n’est pas liée au rugby, a été surveillée mais il s’agit d’une pathologie évolutive. Le risque est devenu trop important », avait alors indiqué le médecin du Racing 92 Sylvain Blanchard en conférence de presse.
La nouvelle que la carrière de Vakatawa touchait à sa fin et que les supporters seraient privés de ses remarquables talents avait choqué le monde du rugby. La décision fut prise par la commission médicale de la LNR, ce qui signifiait qu’il ne pouvait plus participer à aucun des tournois officiellement homologués par l’instance dirigeante.
Bien que l’interdiction limite la participation de Vakatawa au rugby français, il semble qu’il reste éligible pour jouer au rugby au sens large.
RugbyPass a ainsi appris que Virimi Vakatawa se prépare à affronter les Manu Samoa avec l’équipe des Barbarians Britanniques à Brive le 18 août dans le cadre de sa préparation pour la Coupe du Monde de Rugby. Selon nos informations, il a été jugé apte à disputer le match et sera le premier joueur annoncé dans l’équipe des Barbarians.
L’ancien international de rugby à sept, natif de Nouvelle-Zélande, qui possède également la nationalité fidjienne, a brillé sur la scène internationale pour la France au cours d’une carrière relativement brève.
Eligible pour jouer sous les couleurs de la France en 2013, il a obtenu les deux dernières de ses 32 sélections l’été 2022 contre le Japon, débutant au poste de second centre lors des deux victoires. Ces rencontres avaient marqué son retour sur la scène internationale après plus d’un an d’absence pour cause de blessure.
Vakatawa a marqué dix essais en équipe de France au cours de ces 32 rencontres, dont trois lors de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby au Japon en 2019.
Aujourd’hui, il va goûter à nouveau au rugby international, cette fois contre les Samoa. Les Samoa affronteront les Barbarians Britanniques entraînés par Pat Lam dans le cadre d’un rendez-vous spécial organisé dans la ville de Brive qui ne sera pas ville hôte de la prochaine Coupe du Monde de Rugby.
L’équipe des Manu-Samoa elle, entamera sa compétition le samedi 16 septembre avec un match face à l’équipe du Chili.
Les portes du stade Amédée-Domenech ouvriront à 18 heures et les supporters pourront regarder sur les écrans géants du stade le match de Brive contre Agen, qui débutera à 18 h 30, avant que les Samoa n’affrontent les Barbarians.
Comments on RugbyPass
It certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
41 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
41 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
3 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
41 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
9 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
9 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
41 Go to commentsGood option for the lineout lost there.
1 Go to commentsIt’s not like Saffas have a long history of spouting absolute shite at any & every occasion. Oh wait… The dangers of an inferior third world education strike again.
41 Go to commentsI’m so glad we’re revisiting this. Really needs to be dissected further. I’m also so glad that a guy in the stands who wasn’t anywhere near the field when any of it would have been said (and even confirms this) has taken the lead and commented as Ireland. Definitely cleared it all up. This article would be hilarious if it wasn’t so misleading.
41 Go to commentsits such a shame he hasn’t achieved more success at club level. He’s really not been a potent finisher for a while now, but he’s still excellent in the kick chase. That’s the kind of skillset that generally only gets appreciated when you’re playing in premiership and european finals. I’m not sure whether the challenge cup counts given the quality of the competition seems lower than in previous years, but his duel with Mapimpi should be enthralling.
1 Go to commentsThe point is the irish players were arrogant,call it like you want sugar coat it aswell but they were you could see it in their way they handeled themselfs on the field when they got something right so dont tell me it was not arrogance it was,you can fool other people but not me,and to say to one of our players see you in the final put a nail in the coffin for this bullsh@t,just be grown men and accept it that you were arrogant,you could if seen it from a mile away, and then you lost to the allblacks what a cocky move that didnt work out for you ,Eben was right when he said u were arrogant,the point is you will deny it because you lost it all just grow some balls and move on we had won you lost accept it.
41 Go to comments“summer tour of North and South America” so its a summer tour of america?
1 Go to commentsEverybody is giving the Irish players the benefit of the doubt in ‘what they meant’, but none of these pundits or commentators offer the same courtesy to Eben. I don’t think Eben went, 1, 2, 3… etc. What might have happened is he didn’t count and when the 3rd or 5th guy said he went, hang on why are so many of them saying this… and then started to concentrate on it more and more as players continue to say it. So no, he didn’t count it, he realised many Irish players said it and made an assumption based on that… The Irish team was VERY confident at the time and I do believe they believed they were going to win the World Cup, which borders a bit on the arrogant side…
41 Go to commentsI can see how some of the Irish players would have said”see you in the final” as a gentle comment after a victory. It’s open to interpretation but it’s clumsy language. I don’t know the fella but I assure you Eben doesn’t have an axe to grind with Ireland. He has never been the media seeking pro. Oh and BTW it is I’ll be our winter in July so won’t be wet.
41 Go to comments*McCloskey*: _I saw this clip. Like, I wasn’t playing that game; I was in the stands…so you don't know sh!t in other words, infact you know just as much as Goode on this matter. I will believe the guy who was on the pitch when things were said as appose to two people speculating over what was said._
41 Go to comments@ turlough dream on buddy. Your boys are in for one tough time down in sa this summer…
41 Go to commentsI think Goode is looking to establish a platform for himself. Eben said “Probably” so that suggests he wasn’t counting. It’s an estimate Goode. I think even with your short and uneventful experience with the Sharks you probably realise winding up Saffas will get you some airtime. It’s a none event. Move on
41 Go to comments