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'There are not many props who can do that' - Project prop goes from fat to fit
Dean Richards is famously reticent when asked to praise individual Newcastle players but is convinced Sami Mavinga is on course to become the next French front row sensation.
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Mavinga stunned Worcester with a 40m sprint and excellent delayed pass to put Newcastle and Tonga scrum half Sonatane Takulua in for a crucial try in the 23-20 win over the Warriors yesterday to confirm his status as the fastest prop in the Gallagher Premiership.
Toby Flood, the former England and Toulouse No10, joined in the praise for the 25-year-old who joined Newcastle from Lyon in 2007 having impressed in two matches against the English club in the European Challenge Cup tournament. However, Mavinga, 5ft 11ins and 18st, was unable to claim a regular place last season as he had to come to grips with the physical demands of the English top flight and was found wanting when it came to personal fitness.
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After a punishing pre-season, Flood believes Mavinga is now equipped to cause havoc in the Premiership with the kind of eye catching performances that will make him an obvious target for the French selectors. Louis Picamoles resurrected his test career with France after a season with Northampton which transformed the No8’s fitness.
Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby, has assembled a squad that finished fourth in the Premiership last season and Mavinga is now adding his ball carrying power to the mix as the Falcons attempt to prove they really are one of the league’s most dangerous outfits. Richards said: “Sami has done incredibly well over the last year and he has a huge amount of potential. During his appraisal we talked about his potential and there is absolutely no reason why he cannot be looked at by the French selectors.
“He has a lot of ability and that inside ball he threw to Takulua – there are not many props who can do that in the game. I couldn’t do it and I was a No8!”
Sami Mavinga with a big midfield turnover and rampages down the centre of the field. The Frenchman is on his game again today.
— Newcastle Falcons (@FalconsRugby) September 15, 2018
Flood is excited by Mavinga’s potential and expects him to become an even more dynamic player as the season progresses and the prop increases his fitness level. Flood explained: “He is a player who could move up to international rugby and is a real talent.
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“Sami came over a little unfit from France and he won’t mind me saying that and he struggled in a few sessions because it is a quick game here.
“In France, it is big men running into big men. Because his confidence is up, he feels more settled and has played really well this season, making line breaks and doing his work in the scrum. He now feels he is part of the squad because I know, having played in France, it takes time to feel like that with a new team. As a prop, they have to do all the horrible stuff in the tight and then get up a run with the ball here in Premiership.”
French prop Sami Mavinga at today's training session pic.twitter.com/qhlRRDHsHy
— Newcastle Falcons (@FalconsRugby) July 3, 2017
Having played in France before returning last season to Newcastle, Flood understands the kind of problems, including learning a new language, that Mavinga has been dealing with.
The former England No10 was wiped out in a double tackle by Worcester as result of Mavinga’s English as he explained: “Sami was meant to take the ball off me, but wasn’t there” explained Flood. “When you are tired you can get in the wrong position and I got whacked!”
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Comments on RugbyPass
This sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
12 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
12 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
12 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
12 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
12 Go to commentsDon’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. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? 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?
12 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?
44 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.
2 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 comments