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Malakai Fekitoa passes his first trial by media at Toulon
Malakai Fekitoa will not be drafted into Toulon’s team for the weekend’s Top 14 match against Brive, club boss Mourad Boudjellal has revealed.
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A minor midfield injury crisis had prompted reports that the club’s latest new arrival may have little time to get to know his team-mates before lining up alongside them for the weekend’s match against the top-flight’s basement side Brive. But Boudjellal told reporters that, although the option had been considered, “the alternatives we have in the centres are all right, so he doesn’t have to play this weekend”.
Understandably, most of the questions were directed at Fekitoa, who was making his first appearance at the club just a day after he flew in to France. Despite obvious nerves, and the one about whether he’d play at the weekend, he successfully dead-batted question after question from the waiting French media.
“I feel good,” the former Highlander said, in response to the standard opening-shot question about his health. “I had the last couple of weeks off, so I’m fresh and the body’s ready to go, ready to play. I’m excited to see the boys training.”
He admitted to being nervous before arriving: “In the last week I couldn’t sleep at night, I was nervous of the change of moving to a whole new country, a different frame of rugby, new team – all sorts. For me, I’m nervous for my career as well because I want to hopefully bring a lot more into my game and become a lot better player than I used to be.”
“It is one of the biggest changes [I have faced]. I have moved to different teams so many times and every time I’ve moved I believe it has made me a better person and a better rugby player and I believe this one will help me too.”
The first difficult question – on whether it was difficult to give up the All Black dream – was some time coming, but Fekitoa was up to the task: “It was hard at first, but for me, obviously I believe that if you want to grow in rugby and as a person you have to do something different – for me coming here was hard because of the move to a different culture and a different experience.
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“I think it will make me a lot better – not just a better rugby player but a better person. I believe this is the right place for me.”
A second poser, on comparing Top 14 rugby to Super Rugby, was handled with calm precision: “I have to work really hard to adapt to what I get given – and work really hard understanding the changes between Super Rugby and Top 14. I’ve watched a lot of games and it’s not that much different. It’s just what you make of it. I guess it just comes down to me listening and working hard.”
And he revealed something of the thought processes that took him from New Zealand to the south coast of France. “Yes. I spoke to Ma’a (Nonu) and Quade Cooper and a whole load of people before I came here. I spoke to Charles Piutau as well about being away from home and away from my family. They supported me and it helped with my decision.”
A question about the controversy his move has sparked in France was met with stonewall defence: “I spoke to a lot of people, and everyone had a different opinion of my decision. But I’ve put it behind [now], and I’m looking forward to helping the club by doing whatever I can and whatever role I’m given I’ll give it 100% to try and help win a championship.”
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All that remained was to blow a little sunshine up the derrieres of key personnel at his new club. Asked about joining Toulon, he said: “I guess everything [to play here]. “There’s been some great players before me – even right now, with Ma’a Nonu, Luke McAlister and Basta. For me, as a young guy and as a midfielder, I look up to those guys and I want to be compared to those guys. I want to learn and play and help the team.
“From what I’ve heard, I had a picture of a lot of great things. I felt the club is huge in the rugby world – everyone’s talking about it. I want to still develop my game and play alongside great players. The chance to come here was a great way to help achieve that.”
On the competition for midfield places, he was All Blacks-humble: “It’s going to be tough but I believe it will be good for the team. It will be good for all of us to compete against each other and if you work hard enough you’ll get a chance to play.
“It’s just like anywhere you play in the world, in any team you go into there’s always a lot of good players. Here, there’s a lot of great players – and I think it will make me better and it will be good for the club to have all of us here to contribute to a winning environment.
“Whether I’m running the water or cleaning the gym or whatever role I’m given, I’ll give it 100%.”
Level one complete.
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to comments