It’s a monumental double blow for the French rugby team, less than a month before the start of the World Cup, at home (September 8). As revealed by the newspaper The Team, medical examinations carried out on Monday August 14 revealed that the starting half of the Blues, Romain Ntamack (24), suffers from a rupture of the cruciate ligament of the left knee. The Toulouse opener came out, limping, at 55e minute of the meeting which ended with the victory of France against Scotland, Saturday in Saint-Etienne. A victory for which he had laid the groundwork, scoring the first tricolor test (at the 32e minute).
In addition, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced on Monday that his teammate, the left pillar Cyril Baille (29 years old, 44 caps), suffered from a right calf injury which would keep him away from the field for “five to six weeks”. The Toulousain also had to leave the lawn of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium prematurely. His unavailability will force the XV of France to do without its indisputable holder to the left of the scrum for at least the first two games of the competition, including the crucial opening match, against New Zealand.
Romain Ntamack split a short message on social networks, ” I’ll be back “. With his package, the French team of Fabien Galthié loses its master to play and one of its essential executives for four years. By taking charge of the France team in 2019, the coach installed the Toulousain in the chair of the opening half holder and gave him, with Antoine Dupont, the keys to his team’s game.
Sometimes in the shadow of Antoine Dupont, the star scrum half and captain of the French team, Romain Ntamack nevertheless plays a major role in the organization of the team. His complementarity with the best player in the world 2021, so important in a rugby team – and especially their large number of matches in common (27 meetings as holders) – was one of the key assets of the France team. and one of Fabien Galthié’s goals when he took charge of the XV of France.
Matthieu Jalibert should inherit number 10
“Currently, number 10 is Romain Ntamack, insisted the coach in January 2022, when the competition with the Bordeaux opener, Matthieu Jalibert returned to the mat. It’s a consequence of his match against the Blacks [en novembre 2021] and the nineteen previous matches, the twenty weeks of preparation. The All Blacks was a collective and individual experience, a journey too. »
If, until then, the XV of France was – relatively – spared from injuries while the list of players forfeited for the World Cup in France is growing day by day over the summer, this injury is the first rut for the Blues. Logically, Matthieu Jalibert should inherit number 10, and the opener from La Rochelle, Antoine Hastoy, European champion with the Maritimes, should slip on the bench and in the list of 33 (which will be announced on Monday August 21). To replace Cyril Baille as left pillar, Toulonnais Jean-Baptiste Gros, who took his place on the field on Saturday, holds the rope, closely followed by Rochelais Reda Wardi.
At this stage, the FFR has not announced the arrival of any player to replace the two Toulousains in the group of 42 players who are currently preparing for the World Cup in the Landes. Right prop Demba Bamba, injured in the ankle in the first match against Scotland on August 5, was “made available to his club” and replaced by Racing 92 player Thomas Laclayat.
Romain Ntamack will also be deprived of a good part of the Top 14 season, which begins on August 18. His package, as well as that of his club teammate, Cyril Baille, should relaunch the nagging debate on the length of the seasons that players playing in the French championship must play. Romain Ntamack and Cyril Baille played in the French championship final at the end of June, when most internationals from other teams had finished their season several weeks ago. It is also for this reason that the opener and the pillar, like many other executives of the XV of France, had been left to rest for the first match of preparation of France, against Scotland, August 5.