XV of France – “Logic would have wanted him to take over […] It's not up to me to judge his performances”: Romain Ntamack speaks about Matthieu Jalibert in the French team

Since August 12, 2023, the date of his serious knee injury, Romain Ntamack has no longer worn the France team jersey. Despite his notable return to competition in 2024 and his two titles won with Stade Toulousain, a new physical problem – lighter this time – prevented the opener from defending his place on the November tour. “It will be a good year, he confided at a press conference on the sidelines of the Stade Français reception. Even though there was this little disappointment on the November tour, I wanted to come back as well as possible from my knee injury and I succeeded in my objective.”

Ntamack absent, it was therefore logically Matthieu Jalibert who replaced the Toulouse player during the World Cup in France and the 6 Nations Tournament. But, at the end of the oldest competition in the world, Fabien Galthié was forced to install Thomas Ramos at the opening after the Bordeaux player suffered a knee injury against Italy. A repositioning that paid off, because the Blues finished the Tournament better than they started it. In November, the coach therefore had a choice to make: start the Girondin, in great form at the start of the season, or continue with the logic of the end of the Tournament. Galthié opted for the second option, and Jalibert started on the bench against Japan, before being left out of the group against New Zealand and asking to leave the group.

In an interview given to our colleagues at The TeamRomain Ntamack spoke about competition in the French team and returned to the Jalibert case, which has caused a lot of things to be said and written in recent weeks. “The staff made their choices. I always responded and performed the necessary services for the staff to maintain their trust in me. I haven't been there for a year and a half and logic would have dictated that he take over. He had the opportunity to do it. It's not up to me to judge his performances if the staff preferred Thomas. (Ramos, NDLR) on the last matches, I had nothing to do with it. It's a shame that the debate is still centered on Ntamack-Jalibert when, during the November tour, Thomas was very good and became number 1 in the position.”

What is paradoxical is that Thomas, who claims his preference for the full-back position, plays at the opening

The multiple French champion, hero of the 2023 final, also spoke about his case in Blue. If he “does not consider himself the number 1 opener for the Blues” and that he will have to “prove everything again”he also refuted any influence in the coach's choices in his absence: “I never claimed anything. I never went to see the staff to say that I was the number 10 of the Blues and that I had to play! I have not worn the France team jersey since a year and a half. There was a place to be taken.” Regarding his club partner Thomas Ramos, Ntamack said he was delighted to see him shine with the 10 on his back in November. He adds: “What is paradoxical is that Thomas, who claims his preference for the full-back positionplays at the opening. Whether with France or Stade Toulousain, there is above all a lot of emulation, which generates motivation.”