The French second line, who began his career in England, scored twice in the historic victory of the Blues in London on Saturday.
“Thibaud Flament is a player of international standards, that’s for sure. And to think that he is starting his career…” The report is signed by a dumbfounded Fabien Galthié, almost without a word to qualify the phenomenal match of his number 4 at Twickenham. During the resounding victory of the XV of France in England (53-10), Saturday March 11, the 25-year-old Stade Toulouse player delivered one of his best performances of his career. For his fifteenth international match, the one who started his professional career in London has undoubtedly reshuffled the cards six months before the World Cup.
If Thomas Ramos was named best player of the match, Thibaud Flament could very well have claimed the reward. Author of an almost perfect match, he shone both defensively and offensively. Impassable, his nine tackles (100% success) confirm his status as the best French tackler in the Tournament (67). “I’m happy for him, his development is great, what he’s doing with us is great […] The player is great, and the man too”smiled Fabien Galthié after the match.
Available and successful everywhere
On his two tries, he made himself available to be served by Antoine Dupont then Romain Ntamack before showing his power to go and flatten behind the line. “He has everything, speed, activity. Defensively he shone, he scored these two tries on sharp runs”abounds Vincent Clerc, consultant France Televisions.
A performance all the more remarkable as he had marked this trip on his calendar. Trained in England, at Loughborough University, he started his professional career across the Channel, with Wasps, in 2019. “Coming back to the country where I passed the professional ladder is special”he recognized on RMC before the meeting. “Twickenham is a legendary stadium that I had visited when I was at university. I looked at it with wide eyes and I dreamed of walking on this lawn one day.”
It could add a degree of emotion and pressure to his giant shoulders (2.03 meters). But against the XV de la Rose, Flament displayed an unfailing serenity. Applied, he remained in his match without being carried away by the issue. A control that he only let slip a few seconds, like a crack in the facade, at the end of the match. On the final French kick, he let his joy burst, his face open with his arms in the air, while others, at his side, left instead to greet the beaten English.
“One of the best second lines in the world”
Despite his desire for discretion, the great Toulouse takes on a new dimension in this team. Returning from the locker room, while the blue group was waiting for the English on the lawn, he spent several tens of seconds talking with Romain Ntamack. “He is one of the best second lines in the world. He goes through levels every weekend, he takes more and more space in the group, he is a player who does not talk too much but who gives confidence as soon as you have him next to you “also praised his club teammate after the meeting. “It’s a second line that allows you to almost have a fourth third line. It’s a player profile that we need today”abounds Vincent Clerc.
A sign of this new popularity, it was he who was chosen by English television for the post-match interview. Already accustomed to camera flashes, Thibaud Flament has everything to aim even higher with the Blues. Him, the most English of the French.