Fabien Galthié regretted this week that his remarks could be the subject of “amalgamations”. We want to. But when he asked who had been voted man of the match after the victory over the All Blacks (30-29), we couldn't help but think that his question was purely rhetorical. As if to better remind us, at the end of a week marked by the debate sparked by the sidelining of Matthieu Jalibert, that his bet to install during this tour the usual full-back Thomas Ramos (29 years old, 38 caps ) in 10 – since it was to him that this honorary distinction went – had proven to be a winner even before the last match against Argentina.
“I will let you comment, since you comment on the compositions and the choices,” he added mischievously. “So you have hindsight to judge Thomas’ match. »
We won't take too much of a risk by saying that he was very good. Or even bluffing? “Honestly no,” smiles former fly-half Christophe Lamaison, who also had the opportunity to shine during his career against the Blacks. “He is capable of doing extraordinary things, it’s almost genius. Its versatility is important, crucial. Whether at the back, in 10, or even at another position (smile). Having a player like that is just fun. »
This ability to shine at the opening, Thomas Ramos has already had the opportunity to display it in front of the cameras on numerous occasions. Whether with Toulouse, where he participated in the conquest of several titles by being replaced at the opening, or with the XV of France during the last Six-Nations during which he successfully donned the number 10 for both last matches against the Welsh and the English.
“It’s obviously easier to play with a player like Antoine (Dupont), who scares opposing defenders. They are on him all the time, so that leaves a little more freedom to the players around him,” minimized Thomas Ramos after the meeting.
Good in spite of himself
Marking his mark in a match against a nation of the caliber of New Zealand, however, inevitably propels him into a new dimension. What's more when we remember that he only showed a very measured eagerness at the idea of leading the Blues' game… “To choose, I prefer to play at fullback”, he declared last week in “L 'Team “. A statement made a few weeks after having made similar private remarks to Matthieu Jalibert.
“When you make your team, you have to put Thomas Ramos first. Whether in 10 or 15”
That Thomas Ramos is capable of expressing his thoughts in the public arena while fitting perfectly into the collective and providing guarantees of competitiveness says a lot about his temperament. The Toulouse man is not content with “stinking of rugby”. A fierce competitor, the regular back is a leader at heart. A character trait forged over the course of his career.
“The character Ramos has this aura which makes him a great unifier,” appreciates Christophe Lamaison. “He doesn’t give up. In small clubs, we would say that it is a “painful”. No matter what number he has on his back, he tries to make every situation better. […] That doesn't make him number 1 since we're still waiting for Romain (Ntamack) to return. But in any case he is the one who understood that number 10 must have the trust of his partners. And he won it. »
New debate
The affirmation of Thomas Ramos during the 2022-2023 international season had made it possible to lastingly settle the debate aimed at knowing who should start at number 15 with the Blues. Léo Barré not providing as many guarantees and the Romain Buros option not having been able to be extended due to his withdrawal on Tuesday, the Toulouse player remains the undisputed number 1 at the back of the field. Can he become one in another position?
The question is a bit provocative. The staff, led by Fabien Galthié, still makes Romain Ntamack their first choice at the opening. But that doesn’t extinguish Christophe Lamaison’s little intuition: “We can get into the question: is he better in 10 than in 15? Even if he has a temperament, he is not the tallest of full-backs (Editor's note, 1.78 m). You now have to be almost 1.90 m tall! At this level, I think he has more of a number 10 profile. But that's a very personal opinion. »
Fabien Galthié spoke last week on the propensity of teams to put tall players in the back lines with the end of escorts. He will have plenty of time to think about this suggestion. But Thomas Ramos nevertheless keeps a key asset in hand, concludes Christophe Lamaison: “He has a quality that the others do not have to date: he is a reliable scorer. When you make your team, you have to put Thomas Ramos first. Whether it’s 10 or 15.” For now, there is no confusion.
