If we had to look in the current season for the reason why Fabien Galthié chose to start Thomas Ramos at the opening for these November tests, there would be reason to scratch our heads. In seven starts in fact, the Mazamétain was only aligned twice at the opening, for a victory adorned with a try and a clash with Stuart Hogg in Montpellier (11-20) and a defeat at Castres (28-23). In fact, the (good) reasons to trust him are logically to be found in the past, where Ramos always responded when he was asked to act as an interim during big matches as number 10. The old one goes back to the 2018-2019 season, where Ramos seized his chance after the suspension of Zack Holmes to guide Toulouse in the half against La Rochelle (20-6), then Clermont in the final (24-18).
France-England 2024, his marshal’s baton
However, it is to the post-Covid period that we actually have to go back to find traces of his first truly memorable match, with this 2021 final which he masterfully led against La Rochelle in place of Romain Ntamack, victim of a concussion against Bordeaux-Bègles in the half. That day, in pouring rain, Ramos proved to be the king of the field, delivering a strategic “master class” in terms of foot occupation against the Rochelais who had nevertheless made this sector their strong point of the season. The day when a certain Antoine Dupont, not to mention his name, was himself surprised by his teammate's control under strong pressure.
However, in Galthié's eyes as in ours, this is obviously not that far back. But well, after a catastrophic debut marked by a debacle against Ireland in Marseille (17-38), and a draw against Italy in Lille (13-13), the passage of Ramos at the opening (combined to that of le Garrec in the scrum) allowed the XV of France to find a link in their game and, above all, a real boss on and off the field. This was evident in Wales (24-45 victory), where he exceeded the 300-point mark in Blue while showing himself to be impeccable in animation and occupation. But especially during the reception of England in Lyon (33-31), which allowed the Blues to defeat the Indian sign in front of their public (after three consecutive matches without a victory), which saw Ramos make the most improbable decisive pass of for the last twenty years by tackling a ball from the back of the key towards Fickou, but above all scoring the winning penalty from fifty meters at the last second, just a few minutes after having missed a much easier goal.
Enough to attract many laurels, but above all the admiration and confidence of these partners… “It’s incredible to do what he did at 50 meters,” said Léo Barré. You have to know how to put it on… It shows both the talent and the experience of the player, and that doesn't surprise me about him. » “We are lucky to have a great player like that, who leads the team in an incredible way and who turns a match into a great moment,” concluded Alexandre Roumat. Hence Fabien Falthié's decision to opt for continuity, was it eight months later? It seems good, yes…
