On loan from Stade Français this summer, the young and promising three-quarter centre Noah Nene aims to have a full season with the Landes club, before trying to establish himself definitively in the capital.
Noah Nene did not get on the bus to Grenoble on Wednesday. Three-quarters center is coming out of a very big match against Colomiersbut he discovers, like others before him, the management of Jeff Dubois, which consists of establishing a quasi-permanent rotation in the team. It is, moreover, this method which allowed the Landes club to surprise everyone, last year, and to reach the final phase.
Will USD, top of the standings after three days, manage to achieve such a run this year? It’s hard to say this early in the season, but the center would like to experience a lively spring.There is a lot of talk about staying up, but I think we have the ability to play in the final phase, he says. At least, I would like us to do so this year, because we have a really good group. That will be my personal goal..”
Nene: “My goal is to break through when I return to Paris”
Loaned to US Dax this summer by Stade Français ParisNoah Néné has the (other) ambition of improving his loan and returning stronger to the capital, where his contract extends until 2027.My goal is to spend my entire career in Paris and to make a breakthrough when I return there.“, he explains. The Pro D2 championship can prove to be the ideal springboard for youngsters lacking playing time. That’s why he decided to join Landes a few weeks ago, the future being somewhat blocked, for the moment, at the center of the Parisian attack. “I already wanted to be loaned during the 2023-2024 season. A few clubs were interested, but Stade Français didn’t really want me to leave.“, he rewinds. It was, ultimately, the good relations between Laurent Labit, Jeff Dubois and Antoine Ratinaud (the player’s agent, who was trained by Dubois at Massy), which finally made this loan possible.
While he admits that Parisian life is very different from that in Dax – “It’s a bit complicated, there is no public transport here”, he smiles – Nene appreciates “the family side” of the USD. “People are friendly, they come to youhe says. In Paris, there is football, people don’t care too much about rugby, whereas here, they know all the players. And in Dax, where I was very well integrated, I found a bit of the spirit that there was at RC Val de Bièvre, the club where I took my first steps.”
Injury, confidence and U20
The daily development also translates into rather interesting performances. Nene played the first three games of the season and, starting against Colomiers last week, he made an impression. It must be said that the game advocated by the USD seems to suit him.We play a lot of ball. There is standing play, that’s the style I like. From 1 to 15, everyone knows how to pass their arms and that’s something I like.“, admits the young man, who also knows the point on which he must progress.I would like to improve my defense, be a little tougher. I also want to be better on offloads and in terms of vision of the game, in front of the defense..”
Became an international U20 last winterNoah Nene has potential, that’s obvious. But his progress has been slowed in recent years by injuries among his younger players.In my first year with the hopefuls (2022-2023, Editor’s note), I did the three stages of the SuperSevens, clubs like Racing or Clermont called me, I was supposed to do the U18s but I got injuredrewinds the one who played football when he was younger. It was a blow, I was quite disappointed, but I still signed my first espoir contract. At that time, I didn’t think I was very deserving, I thought they were making me sign this contract because I was pitiful, I was really not in my element. From then on, 2023-2024 was, in a way, like my first season with the espoirs and when I came back from my injury, I kind of started all over again from scratch”.
It was in Toulon, on December 30, 2023, that the young man (1m92, 103 kg) finally discovered the Top 14. He will then play two additional matches, against Clermont and Leinster.The coaches wanted to give the squad a breatherhe thinks. I know I wasn’t 100% ready, but being back with the professionals gave me confidence. However, I was quite reserved, because I knew I had to work a little harder..”Although in Dax today, he exchanges quite regularly with Laurent Labit, the director of rugby in the capital “He sent me messages before the matches, showing that he doesn’t leave me alone in Dax and that’s important to me..” It is also a sign that Stade Français is counting on its nugget, which it hopes to recover stronger in a few months.
