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LA ROCHELLE POWER 5 AGAINST STADE FRANÇAIS On the opening day of the 18th TOP 14 season, "Les Maritimes" beat leaders Paris 23-3 with an attacking bonus. For the first time this season, Ronan O'Gara's men are in the TOP 6! Watch the fantastic try by South African winger Dillyn Leyds. CLERMONT AND OYONNAX GO HEAD TO HEAD In the battle of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Clermont and Oyonnax played out a 15-15 draw. Plisson and Miotti scored all 15 of their teams' points from penalties-kick See Domingo Miotti's penalty-kick at the siren, which gave Oyonnax a draw. LYON ON TOP AGAINST CO After their rout in the Basque Country, Lyon won 34-19 in front of their home crowd against Castres Olympique. An attacking bonus earned at the very end of the match means that the LOU are now well clear of the relegation zone. Replay the first try of the match, scored by3rd row Jordan Taufua. MONTPELLIER WIN BY THE SLIMMEST OF MARGINS AGAINST UBB The MHR secured the vital points against Bordeaux with a narrow 10-3 victory. This was the fourth consecutive victory for the Montpellier side, who have confirmed their revival this season. Replay the only try of the match, scored by Cobus Reinach. PAU DEFEATS BAYONNE IN AN XXL MATCH 82 points scored, 42 to 40 for Section, it was THE match of the weekend! The 64 derby produced an 11-try encounter in which Pau and Bayonne went head to head. In the midst of all this madness, there was one magnificent try! It was scored by Palois winger Théo Attisogbe. PERPIGNAN TOPPLES TOULOUSE IN 2024! The reigning French champions fell to the Catalans! After 8 straight wins in all competitions, Stade Toulousain lost for the first time in 2024. It was a late win for the Catalans (27-17), who are always irreproachable at Aimé-Giral. Discover the winning try, scored by Tommaso Allan RACING GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS (AT LAST) After 5 consecutive league defeats, Racing 92 got back to winning ways with a 20-6 victory over RCT at Paris La Défense-Arena. The win keeps "Les Ciel et Blanc" in the Top 6 of the Top 14. Replay the only try of the match scored by Maxime Baudonne.
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Close encounters with the Brennus Shield at the National Rugby League
What if we took a step back in time? What if we relived the best actions of the French championship?Legendary Plays has selected 49 iconic Top 14 players just for you. You'll be able to rediscover some of these players' finest actions and most memorable moments.This collection will take you back ten or even twenty years! Without further ado, here is a presentation of some of the players in this collection.Christophe Dominici, the shooting starAgainst Biarritz Olympique, in the Top 16 final at the time, Christophe Dominici scored one of the finest tries ever scored in a French championship final.He picked up the ball on the halfway line, accelerated but was caught out...But he wasn't held! He rose to his feet at lightning speed, after sliding off his knees. His top speed then did the rest as he finished behind the try line. It was quite a career for the man with 67 caps for the French national team, and winner of the 1998 V Nations Tournament and 3 Six Nations Tournaments. A two-time European runner-up and 5-time French champion with Stade Français, Dominici was one of the greatest French wingers in history. Frédéric Michalak, the gifted FrenchmanDuring the 2001 final between Stade Toulousain and ASM Clermont, Michalak used his full range of skills to score a penalty from almost 50 metres. At just 19 years of age, the player trained at Stade Toulousain is discovering himself in the eyes of the rugby world.And his record of achievements is STRATOSPHERIC. Three times French champion (2 with Toulouse and 1 with Toulon), 6 times European champion (3 with Toulouse and 3 with Toulon). He has won the Six Nations Tournament 4 times, including 3 Grand Slams, and is the highest scorer in the history of the French national team with 436 points! Are you still alive? We can hardly believe it! Sébastien Chabal, Hummmm « Chabal »Naturally, this list includes the monster, the beast that is Sébastien Chabal, 62 caps for the French national team. A 113-kilogram colossus colliding with you at full speed obviously leaves its mark. His monstrous tackle in the Top 16 semi-final in 2003-2004 was a case in point.Click here to try to obtain his extraordinary tackleTo his credit? Two Six Nations tournaments, in the squad for two Rugby World Cups with Les Bleus. Apart from winning the French Pro D2 title with LOU in 2014, his record of achievements in France unfortunately does not reflect his career... A SENSATIONAL player that French rugby will never forget. Juan-Martin Hernandez, “El Mago”Juan-Martin Hernandez scored his side's only try of the semi-final in the corner against Bourgoin with his club Stade Français. It was a crucial try that sent the Parisians into the final at the Stade de France, before they went on to win it.A two-time French champion with Stade Français and European champion in 2015 with RCT, the Argentinian magician has spent some fine seasons on French soil. Whether he played as an opener, fullback, centre or even winger, his time in France was marked by his vision and exceptional intelligence. Hernandez won 74 caps for the Pumas, with whom he played in three World Cups. A monstrous career for an exceptional player. Imanol Harinordoquy, the leaping basqueDuring the Basque Country derby between Biarritz Olympique and Aviron Bayonnais, Imanol Harinordoquy was on the receiving end of a clever overhead kick from Dimitri Yachvili.The Basque player has won twice the French championship with Biarritz Olympique and is a two-time finalist in the European Cup.Winner of 4 Six Nations tournaments with the French team, including 3 Grand Slams (2002, 2004 and 2010), Imanol has also taken part in three Rugby World Cups, reaching the final in 2011. Finishing his career with Stade Toulousain, Harinordoquy's career was a reflection of his size (1.92 metres and 105 kilos): HUGE. You can find other old-fashioned players in our collection:Fabien Galthié : Stade Français 🇫🇷Xavier Garbajosa : Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Florian Fritz : Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Rupeni Caucaunibuca : SU Agen 🇫🇯Napolioni Nalaga : ASM 🇫🇯Jonny Wilkinson : RCT 🏴Jean-Baptiste Elissalde : Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Julien Arias : Stade Français 🇫🇷Yann Delaigue : Castres Olympique 🇫🇷Dimitri Szarzewski : Stade Français 🇫🇷Brock James : ASM 🇦🇺Sonny Bill Williams : RCT 🇳🇿Lionel Beauxis : Stade Français 🇫🇷Pierre Mignoni : ASM 🇫🇷Pepito Elhorga : Aviron Bayonnais 🇫🇷Patricio Albacete : Stade Toulousain 🇦🇷Felipe Contepomi : RCT 🇦🇷Julien Malzieu : ASM 🇫🇷Byron Kelleher : Stade Toulousain 🇳🇿Iain Balshaw : Biarritz Olympique 🏴Julien Dupuy : Stade Français 🇫🇷Clément Poitrenaud : Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Joe Van Niekerk : RCT 🇿🇦David Skrela : ASM 🇫🇷Sireli Bobo : Racing 🇫🇯Paul Sackey : Stade Français 🏴Luke McAlister : Stade Toulousain 🇳🇿Romain Teulet : Castres Olympique 🇫🇷Matt Giteau : RCT 🇦🇺Benoit August : Biarritz Olympique 🇫🇷Ignacio Corleto : Stade Français 🇦🇷Jamie Cudmore : ASM 🇨🇦Jean-Baptiste Poux : Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Lionel Nallet : Racing 🇫🇷Mario Ledesma : ASM 🇦🇷Nicolas Brusque : Biarritz Olympique 🇫🇷Nicolas Mas : USAP 🇫🇷Pascal Pape : Stade Français 🇫🇷Percy Montgomery : USAP 🇿🇦Rodrigo Capo-Ortega: Castres Olympique 🇺🇾Sylvain Marconnet: Stade Français 🇫🇷Thibaut Privat: ASM 🇫🇷William Servat: Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷Yoann Maestri: Stade Toulousain 🇫🇷All these players and their actions are now available on Legendary Plays So don't wait, open your pack the old-fashioned way and let the magic begin.
Toulouse improve against neighbours Castres The South-West derby quickly turned in favour of Ugo Mola's men. Impressively effective, Toulouse outclassed their neighbours with 5 tries scored (33-6). A bonus-point victory that puts Stade Toulousain comfortably in the top 2 of the rankings. Watch the try scored by Juan-Cruz Mallia Bayonne outclass LOU in the race to stay up In an important game at the bottom of the table, it was the Basques who came out on top, and with flying colours. In front of their home crowd at Jean-Dauger, Bayonnais waited until the hour mark to turn the match in their favour (39-10). Replay the5th Bayonnais try by fullback Cheikh Tiberghien Montpellier record 3rd consecutive win over Oyonnax Les Cistes confirm their current good form. The MHR won at Oyonnax (35-39). The win sees the Montpellier side leave the red zone for the first time since matchday 4! Oyonnax remain in last place in the Top 14. Watch again the try by Montpellier3rd row Nico Janse Van Rensburg Stade Français consolidate top spot The Parisians beat Section Paloise 25-12 at the Stade Jean-Bouin. Thanks to a brace from the inevitable Sekou Macalou, Stade Français clinched an attacking bonus point and remain top of the league. See one of Sekou Macalou's tries Toulon forget the bonus point against USAP A convincing victory for "Les Varois" on their home turf against USAP (44-22). Gaël Drean scored twice, enabling Toulon to regain a place in the top 6. USAP, on the other hand, find themselves relegated. Enjoy the crazy run made by Toulon winger Gaël Drean Bordeaux reassure themselves against Racing After their heavy defeat at Castres, UBB responded well in front of their home crowd with an easy 21-5 win over Racing 92. With Nicolas Depoortere on fire, Bordeaux are back on the podium. The Francilians, on the other hand, are on a downward spiral, suffering their fifth successive defeat in the league... For you, the Nicolas Depoortere rocket ! La Rochelle close in on the Top 6 It was a victory that will do La Rochelle's morale a world of good. In poor form since the start of the season, the Maritimes put on a show at Marcel-Deflandre. By scoring no fewer than 6 tries, the "Yellow and Black" secured a valuable attacking bonus point in the race for qualification. Final score? 42-3! You can see Teddy Thomas' try here
Montpellier secure home advantage Buoyed by their comfortable win at Racing last week, Montpellier are continuing their drive to stay in the top flight. Les Cistes won on home turf against a valiant Bayonnais side (28-23). The Basques secured a precious bonus point at the end of the match. Replay the MHR team try, scored by Brandon Paenga Amosa Pau dispose of Toulon Following their success at Chaban-Delmas, Section Paloise overcame RCT this weekend (17-9). It was a small but precious victory for the Palois, who are back in the TOP 6. Watch the interception that led to Luke Withelock's try USAP win with bonus point against La Rochelle The Catalans have confirmed that they will be hard to beat at Aimé-Giral. Perpignan beat the European champions 27-15 with an attacking bonus. Replay of Tommaso Allan's splendid try from the line Castres Olympique roll over UBB In the top-of-the-table match, it was Castres Olympique who came out on top against Bordeaux. A bonus-point win (41-12) sees Jeremy Davidson's men join the Top 14 podium. Take a look at the first try scored by Jack Goodhue, the all-black centre in the colours of the CO. Lyon take a breath of fresh air LOU Rugby beat Oyonnax 43-26 in a match crucial to their survival. The Lyon side are now 10th in the table, while Oyonnax are more relegated than ever. Watch Davit Niniashvili's splendid try Stade Français take the derby by storm The Paris derby was the eagerly-awaited match of matchday 16. The match ended in a solid victory for Stade Français at La Défense Arena (11-27). With Peniasi Dakuwaqa on fire, the men in pink are still top of the Top 14. Vibre ahead of Peniasi Dakuwaqa 's crazy 127-metre run! Toulouse's Espoirs win at Clermont It's THE big win of the 16th matchday. With a (very) young team, Toulouse won the battle against Clermont (33-37). With no fewer than 10 tries scored in the match, Ugo Mola's men join Stade Français at the top of the table. Watch Arthur Retière's speedy try
Lyon bounce back against Rochelais. The LOU beat the reigning European champions 28-17 thanks in particular to a brace from Baptiste Couilloud. The Lyon side have given themselves some breathing space, but are still under pressure in the race to avoid relegation. Check out the trickster try by Lyon's captain. Pau score big in Bordeaux Section Paloise beat Union Bordeaux Bègles 20-10 at Chaban-Delmas. The Béarnais are back on track after a run of 4 consecutive defeats, while the Girondins have come to a real standstill. Replay the first try of the match scored by Axel Desperes Paris snatch bonus point from USAP. The pink soldiers were held by the Catalans for 60 minutes before winning 32-19. The Parisians take the offensive bonus point and the lead in the French championship. Watch the 4th Parisian try by Rory Kockott. Racing humiliated by Montpellier. The league's bottom side pulled off a major coup with a 44-20 win at Paris La Défense Arena. The bonus-point win moves the Cistes back to within a point of 12th place. You will find the trial of Christopher Tolofua, who arrived a week ago from Toulon. Toulouse beat Oyonnax in a festival of tries The red-and-black duel was won by Toulouse with a (prolific) score of 61-34. It was a big win with an attacking bonus, marked by a four-try haul from Paul Graou, named man of the match. Watch one of the tries scored by Toulouse's scrum-half Bayonne win their tussle with Clermont. The Basques maintained their unbeaten home record by beating ASM 21-13. Grégory Patat's men continue to defend the impregnable Jean-Dauger turf, and are now in tenth place in the league. Watch again the try by Bayonne centre Guillaume Martocq. Castres dominate Toulon and return to the top 6 In this duel between contenders for the final stages of the competition, Castres defeated Toulon 25-17. Thanks to this victory, the Castrais are back in the Top 6 and confirming their good momentum. The winning try was scored by Josaia Raisuqe, and you can relive it here!
UBB's young winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey gave the French team the victory in the Six Nations match against Scotland (16-20). Scoring a solitary try with 10 minutes remaining, 'LBB' demonstrated his extraordinary athletic qualities to the French people. At just 20 years of age, the Bordeaux winger is slowly establishing himself as a starter in the French team. Find out more about Bielle-Biarrey's greatest Top 14 tries for Bordeaux. Legendary Plays tells you all about his qualities.A rare precocity: first try at 18!it was in March 2022, against ASM, that Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored his very first Top 14 try! Well served by an amazing pass between the legs of Gatien Massé, he picked up the ball on the wing and accelerated to finish behind the goal line. The first try of a long series. He's barely of age, but he's already fearless. Votre navigateur ne prend pas en charge la lecture de la vidéo. Crazy speed, amazing stepsAgainst the Stade Toulousain on the round 24 of the 2022-23 Top 14 season, Bielle-Biarrey was at the end of a splendid move by UBB. Pierre Bochaton escaped along the touchline and fed his winger inside. The Girondin accelerated and left aside Retière with a side step before finishing between the posts. It was a try that confirmed that the 19-year-old winger was in the process of blossoming at the highest level. Votre navigateur ne prend pas en charge la lecture de la vidéo. A constant concern for supportAnother illustration of his qualities, this time against LOU Rugby. On the 6 of the 2022/23 Top 14 season, Jalibert broke through the Lyon defence in midfield. Louis Bielle-Biarrey stepped up to the ball and all he had to do was to extend his stride to score his 2nd Top 14 try. Votre navigateur ne prend pas en charge la lecture de la vidéo. Concluding aloneThis try he created all by himself! Against Montpellier, Bielle-Biarrey was on the left wing with no space in between... He took out two opponent players with a magnificent inside step, accelerated and then literally put the last defender down to score a try of his own. An action worthy of the greatest! Votre navigateur ne prend pas en charge la lecture de la vidéo. A scorer's instinctIt was against Oyonnax a few months ago, in December 2023 to be precise. Under the snow, Maxime Lucu kicked a penalty right next to the posts... The Oyonnax backs couldn't catch the ball and 'LLB', who came in at full speed, scored the try. It was a "strange" one, but opportunistic one for the international winger. Votre navigateur ne prend pas en charge la lecture de la vidéo.
5-point victory for USAP over RacingPerpignan comfortably beat the Racing 92 on their Aimé-Giral field (26-5). The bonus-point victory moves the Catalans away from the red zone, where they now lie 11th in the table.With this defeat, the team from the Paris region lose their spot at the top of the table and drop to the 4th one.Louis Dupichot's early try. Stade Français win at OyonnaxWith their 19-23 victory over Oyonnax, the Parisians are now at the top of the Top 14. The men in pink have confirmed that they are serious contenders for the title.Despite their defeat, we show you the powerful try scored by former Parisian Théo Millet. Clermont improve against LyonClermont won their 4th consecutive win in all competitions against LOU. With 6 tries scored, ASM pocketed the attacking bonus point and returned to the Top 6.Watch the try scored by Fijian third row Peceli Yato. La Rochelle secures victory over MontpellierLa Rochelle battled hard, but came out on top against MHR. An 18-10 victory in front of their home crowd keeps the Maritimes in touch with the play-off places.Brice Dulin's try was a model combination. Castres scores big against PauCastres' run of bad luck came to an end at Pau. After 4 straight defeats in the league, the CO won nicely against the Section Paloise (33-44). Les Béarnais, on the other hand, have been at a standstill for a few weeks now, suffering their 4th consecutive defeat in the league.You can find Vilimoni Botitu's try here. Toulouse at the very end against BayonneAfter a long struggle against a courageous Bayonne team, Toulouse finally came out on top against the Basques (46-26). This last-gasp bonus-point win means that Ugo Mola's men can hold on to the 2nd place in the table.Replay Antoine Dupont's splendid chistera for Pita Ahki. Bordeaux wins at Toulon for the first time in their history!It was THE match of the 14th round! Union Bordeaux-Bègles won in Toulon, something they had never managed to do before. A sumptuous try from Nicolas Depoortère gave Bordeaux victory at the very end of the match.
Stade Français spring a surprise in Bordeaux!The club from the French capital beat Union Bordeaux-Bègles 26-30 at Chaban-Delmas. It was a real performance from the men in pink, enabling them to leapfrog their opponents in the standings.Watch the best try of the match, scored on the counterattack by Romain Buros. Bayonne secure the points against OyonnaxThe Aviron gave itself a scare against a valiant team of USO. Trailing 14-6 after half an hour, the Basques turned the tide to maintain their unbeaten home record (21-17). A deft try from Aurélien Callandret gave Bayonne the victory at Jean Dauger. Clermont come from behind to beat CastresASM won 20-23 at Pierre-Fabre! It was a fantastic performance from the Yellow army, who confirmed their two last very good matches in the Challenge Cup. On the other hand, it was a second consecutive home defeat for Les Castrais.A worrying setback, despite Santiago Arata's bright try. Tough Lyon solid against USAPIn a hard-fought match, with 3 tries each, it was the LOU who emerged victorious (36-24). After suffering 45-0 at Ernest Wallon, the Rhodanians reacted well against Perpignan.Take a look back at the amazing try scored by Baptiste Couilloud. His fourth of the season. MHR give themselves some air against PauLast in the table, Montpellier needed to win at all costs against Pau. They did just that, with a precious 22-17 win. Jan Serfontein's early try was a major factor in the "Héraultais" success. Toulon wins by the skin of their teethOn Saturday evening's match between Toulon and La Rochelle, it was the men in Red and Black that came out on top at the very end. A final penalty kick from Melvyn Jaminet gave the RCT victory (25-23). Toulouse wins at the Defense ArenaIn the match of the day, it was Toulouse who emerged victorious. A final try from Ange Capuozzo gave Toulouse a precious victory (20-27).
This Wednesday, the Netflix platform launches its series devoted to the Six Nations Tournament. It's a documentary that gives the cameras plenty of space, including the dressing rooms. It's enough to plunge rugby into a mini existential crisis: do we have to show everything in order to please everyone? Desire was stronger than fantasy. Using the same recipe and the same levers as for its successful series devoted to Formula 1 or the Tour de France, Netflix is yet unveiling another secret. This time, it smells of Dolpic and tough talk. The dressing room of the VI Nations has opened its doors to the cameras and microphones of the American giant. In its quest for information, the public wants to know everything, and even see everything. And they are even prepared to pay for it.It's a bit of a blow for the oval traditionalists, who are sometimes nostalgic for a not-so-distant past. These guardians of the temple are former players or coaches. Sometimes both, like Pierre Berbizier (56 caps). Finalist in the 1987 World Cup as a player, semi-finalist in 1995 as coach, he knows this magical place by heart. Supernatural even. "For the general public, the dressing room remains a mystery. Seeing normal people go into this place, this cage, and seeing them come out like lions. Then to return to that place, and become normal people again. So you wonder what goes on in there to transform people completely".Olivier Magne (89 caps) strikes the same tone: "In the history of rugby, the dressing room has always been a secret place. And that secrecy has given rise to tales, legends... sometimes things that never happened there! It has generated very strong images and beliefs". Imagination, an infinite source of belief".This thirst for reality raises some simple questions: should everything be shown? Doesn't part of the magic lie in the invisible? That's Pierre Berbizier's opinion: "I think you have to keep the mystery in the dressing room. I've always accepted people. But I reduced it to very few. Because it has to be earned. Once the public has seen everything, it will demystify the place. On the contrary, I think you have to make people dream. Let them imagine what can happen there. You have to feed the fantasy. Living it is sometimes a disappointment".Opening the dressing room to others: fear of what?Rugby is a lascivious art, where things are suggested rather than shown. "I'm prepared to make people imagine things: to tell them what goes on there, explains Pierre Berbizier. But I don't like to show it. The dressing room has become a set and for me, it should remain a place where things happen".So what is it about the dressing room that bothers the players so much and gives rise to such mistrust? One word quickly comes to mind: shamelessness. "There are things that belong only to the players. Having shared important moments with team-mates, one look is enough to remind us of those moments that belong to us. They're ours alone," says Olivier Magne. "In the dressing room, you have complete privacy. It's where you meet up with your partners, your brothers in arms, and it's there that you really lay yourself bare. I wouldn't have wanted those moments to be public," he concludes.Richard Dourthe (31 caps for the French national team) agrees: "You can't know everything, there's no such thing. Pierre Berbizier said it very well: you have to earn it. The dressing room is a man's life. It's intimate. It's family life. And in family life there are arguments, in the life of a couple, there are arguments. And you don't want to go public with that".Behaviour influenced by cameras?Nostalgic, a little. But certainly not old-fashioned. Richard Dourthe readily admits that "media coverage is still very important for our sport. Because people can see that rugby is not a simple sport. It's a very tactical and strategic sport". Olivier Magne, for his part, thinks "it's rather good to show certain things. I'm even in favour of it. But wanting to open up to the media and the general public doesn't mean showing everything. Rugby and sport in general should have places like the dressing room. I'd like us to open up something that isn't the real dressing room. A sort of pre-changing room... a vestibule (laughs)!Because even among the glorious old-timers, no one questions the need for media coverage, the growing popularity, the need to please and satisfy a demanding public. But everyone has their own ideas. For Richard Dourthe, a finalist at the 1999 World Cup, there is a fine line. Showing things, why not. But without adding sound to this special place. It's a fine line, but one that he's trying to clarify: "What's said in the dressing room should stay there. As far as I'm concerned, there's no problem with cameras. But not the sound. Because images let the imagination work. Sound doesn't. He continues: "In all combat sports, there's bound to be over-motivation and irritation. I don't know a rugby player who walks onto a pitch and isn't scared. But you have to find ways of transforming that apprehension into courage. And sometimes that means saying things that can't be said elsewhere and that would be very badly perceived by civil society".Behind this mistrust lies another fear. That of the staging. Exaggerated headphones and shouting, false-sounding speeches and a few fake looks. Olivier Magne gives us his view of the "inside" camera: "Introducing the camera doesn't allow us to be completely naked. Even if you end up forgetting about the camera, it's not completely absent. Your behaviour, your actions, everything is also directed by the image you project. The players are very careful, and I think that certain things happen or don't happen because of the presence of this camera in the dressing room".An observer who becomes a player in spite of himself. Pierre Berbizier is convinced: "We're preparing for a fight. As soon as you have an outside eye, with a camera, they are no longer turned inwards. When you look at the guys, their attitudes are not the same".A new job, a place to findAndréa Lebourgeois is one of those famous "intruders". At just over 60 metres tall, she knows how to make herself even smaller to capture moments of life and moments of truth within the women's French national team. But always with modesty. "No, there's no voyeurism. I know what I'm shooting, and I know that there are things I'm not going to put in the report because it's too intimate". She has become more aware of her profession. "You don't have to show everything to show what's going on within the French national team. Andréa adds, "My job is to make sure they don't see me. It's when they stop paying attention to me that I say to myself, 'That's it, you're part of the team'. It's being at the heart of the action without participating". It was probably this sensitivity that helped Andréa quickly find her place. You have to strike a delicate balance between discretion and omnipresence. "I don't have a big camera, I have a small camera. Besides, I'm small and I'm a girl in a girl's dressing room. I make myself forgotten. Physically, it's difficult to find my place in the changing room, to find the place where I'm going to be the least visible".Like a player, it takes time to find your feet. And sometimes even their place. "In the first match against Italy, people were watching me. But after that first week, I felt that the girls were more at ease. And then in New Zealand, for the chat, I was crouched down in the middle, they were all around me, and at no point did I feel out of place. I really feel that today they've totally understood where I belong and what I'm doing.No one will be able to say whether unreal magic or naked truth should prevail. Or whether rugby should live through this questioning in suffering or in joy. The fact remains that the first issue of this new series will be available from 24 January. A first episode that, like the questions it raises, will inevitably lead to others.
Fabien Galthié has just unveiled the list of 34 French players who will take part in the 2024 VI Nations Tournament. Three months after the failure of the World Cup, the French national team wants to turn the page once and for all, and has just one goal in mind: to win again.Let's take a look at the players who could be celebrating their 1st cap for France. Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92, 21):With Antoine Dupont preparing for the Olympic Games with the French 7 team, Nolann Le Garrec is likely to make his 1st appearance for the Blues. Having made an excellent start to the season with the Racing 92, the 21-year-old scrum-half has already scored 6 tries in Top 14 this year. He will have the opportunity to show the whole rugby world his talent the international level. Nicolas Depoortère (Union Bordeaux-Bègles, 21):World champion with the under 20s in 2023 and top scorer in the competition with 5 tries, Depoortère is the new star of French rugby. At just 21, the Bordeaux-born player has been a key figure in his team this season. Behind Jonathan Danty and Gael Fickou in the pecking order, will the 1.93m centre make his first appearance for the French national team? Possibly this season. Emmanuel Meafou (Stade Toulousain, 25):Naturalised French last November, the Toulouse second row is Australian born but has the measurement of an American fridge: 2.03 metres for 145 kilos! Barring injury, Meafou will play his first match for the French team in this 6 Nations Tournament. The scorer of 12 tries last season with his club the Stade Toulousain, he could already be the spearhead of Fabien Galthié's front eight. Esteban Abadie (RC Toulon, 26):His latest performances with RCT were so convincing that Fabien Galthié couldn't ignore them. The third row jumps, runs and tackles, often better than the others. The leader of Toulon's defence seems to have gone one step further on the Rade. The next step? Doing it in a shirt with the roster on it ! Antoine Gibert (Racing 92, 26):Consistent with the Racing since the departure of Finn Russell, the Frenchman has assumed his role a leader. Versatile facilitator, the Frenchman is capable of playing scrum or fly half. This is probably one of the reasons, in addition to his talent, that convinced the Tricolor staff to take him on board. Matthias Halagahu (RC Toulon, 22):This is THE surprise of the list for the first match of the Tournament. Toulon's second row was preferred to Paul Willemse. It's a strong choice, and one that speaks a lot about the hopes around the future of the player. This season, he has played 14 matches, starting 10 of them.