A center that is looking for its marks
After serving his suspension, Moefana started against Japan, forming an unprecedented pair with Émilien Gailleton. Le Palois, a young gem of French rugby, had also scored his first international try that day. But for the big deadline against the Blacks, he logically left room for Fickou's experience.
Following his decent performance, but nothing more against the Japanese, we expected a much better performance against the Blacks for the Bordeaux player. Indeed, despite his 31 selections in Blue, Moefana does not really have a reference match against a dominant nation. We almost have the feeling that he fades a little in big matches.
Last Saturday, Moefana therefore found an association already tested, but not yet established. This is the problem: facing world-class All Blacks centers (Barrett and Ioane), the UBB player delivered a lackluster performance. With six missed tackles out of eleven and a limited offensive presence (only three meters gained), he did not weigh as much as we hoped.
“Largely satisfied”, assures Galthié
Asked about this pair of centers at a press conference, Fabien Galthié renewed his confidence in them:
“Opposite, there was the best pair of centers in the world, with around thirty matches in common. Yoram and Gaël only had three weeks of work together. In this context, their performance is largely satisfactory.”
Significant support from the coach, who renewed the Fickou-Moefana association without debate to face Argentina. But some observers point out the gap between what Moefana embodies in club – a formidable offensive force at UBB – and his impact in the selection, where he still seems to lack direction.
We can legitimately wonder where he is in the staff rankings and whether Depoortère will be preferred for the Six Nations Tournament.. If there is always the option of aligning the two friends at the center of the French attack, it seems difficult, if not impossible, to do without Gaël Fickou at the moment. The Racingman is too vocal a leader on and off the field, and his experience speaks for him.
Landmarks to find
The lack of automatism with Fickou is not new: during the opening match of the World Cup, against the same All Blacks, their duo had already shown shortcomings. A poor defensive choice from Moefana gave Jordie Barrett a try at the start of the match.
To regain confidence, the 24-year-old will need to work on his connection with his partnerwhile drawing inspiration from what he managed to do with Nicolas Depoortère in Bordeaux. His ability to play around him and provide power will be essential if he wants to establish himself permanently.
The future requires adaptation
Despite lackluster performances, Moefana remains an obvious choice for Galthié thanks to his physical profile and his potential. But the patience of the staff will not be eternal: the fall must serve to take a step forward and prove that he can be the complete center that the Blues have been looking for for a long time. With Fickou to guide him, and an undeniable margin for progress, everything remains possible.
