what are the stakes for the UBB players for the autumn tour?

For the third time in a row, four players from Union Bordeaux-Bègles will be on the score sheet for a match against the XV of France. Against Australia, Saturday (9 p.m.) at the Stade de France, Yoram Moefana will start on the wing, while Sipili Falatea, Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert will be on the bench.

After Australia, the Blues will face South Africa and Japan. Then will come the 2023 Tournament, and, finally, the World Cup in France.
Less than a year from the start of the competition, the upcoming matches are therefore decisive for the UBB Blues.

Moefana, to confirm

It is no coincidence that he is the only player of Union Bordeaux-Bègles to start against Australia this Saturday. Yoram Moefana, who will celebrate his ninth selection, is on a great dynamic in the France team. Holder in five of the last six matches of the Blues, Tournament and Summer Tour included, the Polynesian has established himself as Fabien Galthié’s best recourse in the three-quarter line.

If Fabien Galthié’s holders seem to be the Villière-Danty-Fickou-Penaud association, Moefana is systematically established when there is an absentee. Both on the wing, like this Saturday, since Gabin Villière is absent, and in the center, where he had been excellent during the July matches in Japan, with a try on the first test.

Lucu, to manage

Obviously, for the matches that count, Maxime Lucu will be Antoine Dupont’s replacement as scrum half. It’s inevitable when you have the best player in the world and the new captain of the XV of France in your position. So the Basque, one of the leaders of the UBB will have to take up the challenge of showing himself by playing few minutes, as he knew how to do during the last Six Nations Tournament, where he played seven minutes per game on average, all replacing Dupont.

More neutral during the two summer matches against Japan, where he started, Lucu must continue to play his part, more managerial at the end of matches, where he can bring different qualities. This is where he can maintain his lead over the third scrum half on the list, the Lyonnais Baptiste Couilloud, with a profile more similar to Dupont.

Jalibert, to stay

Attention, danger for Matthieu Jalibert. He too is the official replacement for a Toulousain, Romain Ntamack, especially since the latter’s capital performance during the historic victory of the Blues against the All Blacks,
last fall. A match where Matthieu Jalibert came into play, before missing the Six Nations Tournament through injury. Returning last summer and starting in both games against Japan, the UBB opening half did not sparkle.

So what is its place? The idea of ​​​​associating him with Ntamack, tested a year ago (Bordeaux in 10 and Toulouse in the center), had not convinced, and Matthieu Jalibert found himself on the bench. This Saturday against Australia, he could return to the position of opener or rear. Except that, in this 10-15 register, Jalibert is threatened by Toulouse’s Thomas Ramos, who is making a very good start to the season, where Jalibert has already known better.
If his place in Blue is not threatened immediately, his presence on the score sheet, especially when Melvyn Jaminet will also be back, does not seem guaranteed.

Falatea, to embed yourself

It was his presence that was the least expected on the match sheet this Saturday. But Sipili Falatea has visibly convinced the staff of the Blues during the last two weeks spent at Marcoussis. In the absence of Demba Bamba, long-term injured, he was clearly, in the minds of the staff, in the Top 3 of the right pillars of the Blues. He is even number two today, behind Uini Atonio, holder on Saturday, but ahead of Mohamed Haouas.

One year before the World Cup, where the Blues will take three players to this position, seeing him overtake the Montpellier player is not trivial. If he keeps his lead, he could have a good card to play in the list for the World Cup.

The others, to integrate

There were three other players from Union Bordeaux-Bègles called with the XV of France to prepare this autumn tour,
all three of whom were sent back to Bordeaux without being called back last Monday. The second row Thomas Jolmes seems to be the best equipped to get back there. Already because he has the most experience in Blue (two selections last July), and especially given the injury to his post of Paul Willemse.

In the center, Pablo Uberti seems to be going further, for this tour, but especially for the World Cup, to a position where the return of Arthur Vincent is expected, and where he already seems to be behind Toulouse’s Pierre-Louis Barassi. While in the third line, Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer was unfortunately injured, like Romain Buros, who had been called up during the first list.