The promising scrum half, who honored his first selection with the French XV this summer, is at 20 years old the captain of ASM, which hosts Toulon this Sunday.
His first selection went a little under the radar as the last tour of the XV of France was marked by extra-sporting affairs. But Baptiste Jauneau, great hope of French rugby and world champion with the under-20s in 2023, started well in July with the “big ones” of the XV of France. He played a few minutes during the second test match lost in Buenos Aires (33-25), replacing Baptiste Serin, the most experienced player in a heavily reshuffled group.
Baptiste Jauneau is now expected around the corner. Competing at ASM with Sébastien Bézy and Enzo Sanga, the 20-year-old Béarnais number 9, who passed through junior training at FC Oloron and Biarritz Olympique before arriving in Auvergne in 2021, will have to assert himself a little more as one of the bosses of his club. Gain consistency. Last year, he experienced a serious delay in starting, far from expressing the full extent of his potential, before gaining momentum, winning his starting place and his captain’s stripes.
“Probably I was getting my feet mixed up. I wanted to try to do things right. But I was doing too much. I couldn’t find that happy medium. Whatever happens, you always have to question yourself.” he admitted in The Mountainadding that we had “a little slap on the wrist”.
He’s a prodigy, he reminds me of Toto Dupont that I had in Castres. He has the same physical, technical potential
Christophe Urios
Christophe Urios could not do without his little phenomenon for long, whom he does not hesitate to compare to… Antoine Dupont. “He’s a prodigy, he reminds me of Toto Dupont that I had in Castres, did he advance in Rugby Magazine. He has the same physical and technical potential.” The native of Pau indeed has (relatively speaking) the same ability to accelerate the game, to escape from groupings and to feel the blows as the star of Stade Toulouse. Now the hardest part remains: confirming over time. “All players go through tough times in their career, he is smart and talented enough to bounce back,” agrees the Auvergne manager.
LUIS ROBAYO / AFP
The ASM, in search of regularity in its performances, will really need a leader to return to the forefront. The double champion club of France (2010 and 2017) remains for two seasons without participation in the final stages of the championship. Unworthy of the status of a former flagship club of the Top 14. The responsibilities are therefore heavy on the shoulders of its young captain.
“It’s true that it gives me a little pressure, acquiesce-t-il. Especially since I often add it for not much. Regarding the captaincy, I don’t want to worry too much. I want to stay as I am. If I think too much about it, it will change my game system and the way I evolve. For me, the captain is the one who must give the maximum on the pitch for the team. I must not play personal. I shouldn’t overdo it.”
Station in Toulon which is gaining momentum
Once again, Clermont experienced checkered results after four days. Two successes at home, two setbacks away, including a big right received last Saturday in Perpignan (33-3), but without Jauneau. “We took a beating. I had talked about revealing but I had no revelation. I’m disappointed because I didn’t see it coming.” the strong man of the Jaunards had thundered hotly. No right to make a mistake, Sunday evening at Michelin, against RC Toulon who will, for their part, want to strike a big blow.
Pierre Mignoni, the manager of the RCT – who has already signed, in Paris, a victory away from his bases (10-14) – is for the moment satisfied with the road map of his troops: “It’s okay (three victories, a narrow opening defeat at La Rochelle 19-15, Editor’s note), we are in the nails. We have two trips coming up (Clermont then Racing 92) and there I wait. This is what we do in accounting. On solidarity, I have seen things since the start of the season that I like. The rest will come. We build it, we must continue and persevere. We have to raise our level further.” What we also expect from Baptiste Jauneau.
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