ILS do not let go. In the fight at the top of the Top 14 table, the Union Bordeaux-Bègles and the Stade Toulousain will meet in the semi-finals of Champions Cup on Sunday (4 p.m.) at the Atlantic Matmut. This confrontation will also be that of two clubs renowned for their training. The two teams have in their rank of pure products from the club, like Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lamothe or Nicolas Depoortere on the Girondin side, Cyril Baille, François Cros or Romain Ntamack on the Toulouse side, among others.
“This stability on the podium shows that we are on the right track and that we work correctly”
For several seasons now, the UBB has been the Dolphin of Red and Black in the classification of training centers established by the LNR, which combines sports and school criteria. “It’s important for us. This stability on the podium shows that we are on the right track and that we work properly, ”explains Frédéric Garcia, director of the Bordeaux training center. If the professional workforce of Bordeaux-Bègles has 17 players spent by its young categories, it is still far from the 32 elements which appear in that of the Stade Toulousain, model in the matter. “The more players have trained at the club, the more it will be a weapon,” emphasizes Frédéric Garcia. The Toulouse stadium has this advance, we are only twenty years old. He shows us the way to follow. We necessarily draw inspiration from what he does. »»
Transversality
This season, Bordeaux-Bègles has thus emphasized transversality between the Pro team and its training center. Two coaches, Heini Adams and Jandre Marais, now ensure a daily follow -up of young talents who sail between the pros and hopes teams. Seeing these two former historic UBB players occupying these functions is not trivial: the emphasis is placed on “the club identity”, like the role of Jerome Kaino at the Toulouse stadium.
As in Toulouse, several hopes of the UBB had their first match with the pros this season (Aouad, Nguimimbous, Gardrat, Jacobs, Echegaray). “The opportunities to play with us, they exist, we see it every weekend,” said the director of the Gironde structure. “It is a real will on the part of Yannick (Bru, the manager) and Laurent (Marti, the president). But we also know that standards are increasingly high in Bordeaux to join the first team. ” The door opens, in fact, not for everyone but some can bounce elsewhere. This season, 45 active players who have been trained in Gironde are pros in another club of the first three divisions (Top 14, Pro D2, National).
-If the UBB remains a young club, it also does not benefit from the same pool as its Toulouse neighbor. “They have an extended basin of incomparable players in terms of number and quality,” says Frédéric Garcia. They rely more than us on rugby lands. Our basin is developing. We try to fight with them for the under 16s ”.
Detection
In the detection of talents, the Girondin club focuses mainly on its department in the under -16 category, increases the circle for those under 18 and is not really in competition with Toulouse that from the first hopeful years that target national recruitment. In Lot-et-Garonne, on the front line, the battle is accentuated to attract the nuggets of tomorrow. And on a purely sporting level, “our youth teams meet quite often in the final stages, we have more happiness than among the pros”, smiles Frédéric Garcia, even if the 2023 Hopes final saw Toulouse raising the shield, after its victory over the UBB.
Beyond the work accomplished in terms of training, the hatching of players at the highest level is also dependent on generation issues. The UBB sometimes targets certain profiles in other clubs to integrate its Espoirs team. And some do not stay there long in the image of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Yoram Moefana or Marko Gazzotti in recent years. “Thanks to the club’s trajectory and the image it sends, it allows you to attract young players to continue their training with us. We have arguments to bring in boys when we compete with other clubs. The UBB also passed a course at this level. And blows a youth wind.
Benchmarks
UNION BORDEAUX-BEGLES
They went through the young categories of the club
17 players: Connor Sa, Maxim Lamothe, Zacita, Zindine Atal, Cyril Cazeaux, Pierre Bochaton, Jacques Nguimion, Marko Garrat, Roman Garrat, Mattéo Gardu Jaibert, Matéo Garuma, Yoberta, Yerumti, Yeruma, Yeruma, Yeruma, Nicholas Deborne, Louis Biels-Barrey, Jon Echegaray
List of youth categories
French Hopes Champion (2016)
Champion of France Cadet Gaudermen (2022)
French Cadet Champion Alamercery (2016, 2022)
Toulouse stadium
They went through the young categories of the club
32 players: Dorian Aldegheri, Netile Rodrigue, Theo, Remue
List of youth categories
Champion of France Hopes (2021, 2023, 2024)
Champion of France Crabos (2013, 2022, 2023)
French Cadet Champion Gaudermen (2019)
French Cadet Champion Alamercery (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
