This is a first. The right pillar of Rowing Bayonnais Tevita Tatafu will have his first selection with the XV of France. The coach of the French Rugby team, Fabien Galthié, revealed this Thursday the list of 23 players selected to face Japan.
The Bayonne player will start against Japan this Saturday, November 9 at the Stade de France at the right pillar position alongside captain Antoine Dupont and, among others, Landais Alexandre Roumat from Stade Toulousain, formerly at Biarritz Olympique. Tatafu, Tongan of origin, has been eligible with the Blues for a few weeks after spending 5 years on French soil.
A first since 2020
A first selection to savor for Tevita Tatafu. No Rowing player had played for the French team since 2020 and the selection of Guillaume Ducat with the French XV during a match against England in the final of the Autumn Nations Cup. The XV of France was not a starting group. On the other hand, we have to go back to 2015 and the selection of Scott Speeding to find any trace of a Bayonnais player in a France A team. Note that another Basque player is among the eight replacements: Maxime Lucu from Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle and who plays at Union Bordeaux Bègles.
France
