Top 14 club-by-club 2020/21 season preview: Racing 92
Racing 92 head into the new Top 14 season with a mostly made in France squad that glitters with just a few overseas stars – but what stars…
Key signing
Kurtley Beale has been the one truly big Top 14 signing for next season. Fullback, centre, fly-half, he offers huge value for money at his reported salary of €400,000 a year.
Key departure
Brice Dulin. The two-time Top 14 winner is a casualty of the salary cap – and a big part of the reason for the multi-talented Beale’s arrival. He heads to La Rochelle, while prop Ben Tameifuna has also gone – this time to beef up already formidable front-row options at Bordeaux.
They say
“It’s always difficult to say how you see a season. What is important is to prepare in the right way so that we’re in the best possible place. It’s up to us to do the right things. We are only dependent on ourselves – we must prepare accordingly in relation to what awaits us in the calendar” (Laurent Travers, actu.fr)
We say
It’s actually not that difficult to say how you see a season. Racing have a terrifying squad for 2020/21. The usual ‘if they can gel’ question hardly applies, as most of them have been playing together for a few years – they’ve already gelled. In Travers, Mike Prendergast, and Patricio Noreiga they have some of the smartest rugby brains around.
That playing talent, those coaching brains. It’s a powerful combination.
Desperate start
Last season threatened to go very wrong very quickly for Racing 92. One win, three defeats and a draw in their first five home games – including a season-opening loss to promoted Bayonne – left them second-from-bottom after eight rounds of the campaign.
Blooding young players
Then, 11 players who were at the World Cup returned. Racing have never used the World Cup as an excuse for their poor start – they said it gave them an important chance to blood new, young players.
Nor were they losing games by much – in some cases it was by the skin of the bounce of a ball. But that sort of thing doesn’t show on league tables, unless you look closely. Their points difference after eight games was +7. At the same time, Stade Francais, one place below at the foot of the league, had a points difference -133.
Regardless, Racing’s coaches were not overly concerned. With good reason.
After the 17th round – which turned out to be the last of the Top 14 season – Racing had roared up to third. Their points difference was +125. (Stade’s, for the record, had also stabilised somewhat, at -160). Racing won seven of their last nine Top 14 games, and four of six Champions Cup games to top a pool containing Saracens, Munster and Ospreys.
Then Covid-19 stopped everything.
Game on. https://t.co/26Sebj0qyk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 4, 2020
Racing 92 – a side ‘Made in France’ … mostly
Like Toulouse, Racing have been relatively circumspect in the transfer market. But their few forays into the player pool have been rather more spectacular. Luke Jones, from Bordeaux via four outings at Melbourne, is a smart signing, while Kurtley Beale is the biggest name to move to France next season.
Despite those overseas signings, Racing are leading a mad charge among French clubs to ‘Made In France’ status. Next season, just eight players in their senior squad will not have JIFF status – new signings Jones and Beale, and Finn Russell, Simon Zebo, Dominic Bird, Donnacha Ryan, Juan Imhoff and Antonie Claassen.
Une belle séquence des Ciel et Blanc et c'est l'ailier argentin Juan Imhoff qui inscrit l'essai ?
Quel est votre pronostic pour le quart de finale franco-français entre l'@ASMOfficiel et le @racing92 ? ? pic.twitter.com/tpPWu3TaAZ
— Champions Cup France (@ChampionsCup_FR) August 2, 2020
Racing could pick a matchday squad with a backline including Iribaren, Russell, Beale, Zebo, Imhoff and Virimi Vakatawa behind a powerful – and mobile – pack that could feature Jordan Joseph, Yoan Tanga Mangene, Camille Chat, Boris Palu and Wenceslas Lauret.
That’s a prospect to plague the dreams of defence coaches anywhere.
Arrivals
Luke Jones; Kurtley Beale; Donovan Taofifenua
Departures
Vasil Kakovin; Ben Tameifuna; Issam Hamel; Ewan Johnson; Johnny Dyer; Ben Volavola; Brice Dulin
Comments on RugbyPass
Four Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
1 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
10 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
18 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
15 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
2 Go to commentsI wouldn't pay a cent for that loafer. He just stands around, waiting for play to come his way. He won't make the Wallabies.
1 Go to commentsGood bit of te reo maori Nic. Or is that Niko or Nikora? On the theme of trees the Oaks v Totara. Game plan would be key. I have one but it would cost you.
10 Go to comments> Shaun Edwards’ You should not have to score 30 points to win a game, as exciting as it is. This statement was surprising to me. It is nonsensical .I guess it is a defence coach speaking. But head coach, defence and attacking coaches all work together. They are inseparable. You score more than the opposition to win. It only needs to be one score. You score whatever the game demands, whatever the opposition demand. You defend whatever it takes. The attack coach needs to be able to clock up 30pts if need be.
10 Go to commentsWho’d have thought, not having Farrell & Youngs kicking the ball at every possible opportunity and playing flat and allowing your centres to run and pass would pay off? No one could possibly have seen this coming. FML. It took a LONG time coming but at least that time has finally come. England need to find a backup to Lawrence. Freeman is the best candidate for me, I see no reason why he can't play 12. He's big, strong, fast and has great hands.
10 Go to commentsLove Manu but he's not the player he was and I imagine Bayonne have paid too much money for him.
3 Go to commentsNew Zealand have not beaten England since 2018 and even that was a pretty close shave.
1 Go to comments“a renewed focus on Scottish-qualified players” Scottish-qualified is another way of saying English. England has development more players for the Scotland national Rugby team in the last 4 years, than Scotland has.
2 Go to commentsThis sounds a lot like the old Welsh rugby proverb “Wales never lose. Other teams just score more points.”
5 Go to commentsFinally,at last, Borthwick has done what the whole of England have been crying out for. Ditch the kick chase and let the players have freedom to attack and run with the ball. It was great to see. Ford played really well and for the first time in ages was 5 yards closer to the gainline which then allowed a more attacking position . Pity it has taken 90 odd caps to do so. However, this has to continue and not be a false dawn . One issue. Marcus. With Ford having one really good game in 5 ,is he the answer long term . Smith puts bums on seats and is terrific to watch . How can you leave him out before he departs for France in disillusion . England are in danger of Simmons , Alex Goode , Cipriani , Mercer and now Smith being unable to get a selection ahead of “favourites” of the management regardless of form . Great to see England play so well .
2 Go to commentsCockerill was an abrasive player in the mould of a Georgian front rower who will have the respect of that pack. Looking forward to seeing what he can do with this exciting team, hopefully they can send a message to unions like Wales that money alone doesn't buy you wins.
2 Go to commentsI like the look of those July matches. Hopefully they'll get some good tests in November too.
2 Go to commentsThis is a poor article, essentially just trolling six nations teams
22 Go to commentsConnaught man? How you can write that without blushing.
6 Go to comments