our information on the scrum-half transfer window

This is one of the Bayonne transfer window projects, it is about to be completed. Who will be the three scrum halves of Aviron Bayonnais next season? Starting this Saturday during the defeat in Toulon (39-19), Baptiste Germain (24 years old) is the only one of the current trio to be assured of his future. The former Stade Toulousain and Biarritz Olympique player signed a three-year contract last summer. He is linked with the blue and white until 2027. This gives him time to establish himself. This is not yet the case: he has only started four times, for eight appearances.

Herschel Jantjies (28 years old) will be his teammate and competitor next season. The South African international (25 caps) gave his agreement to the Bayonne leaders. A contract until 2027 awaits him, with the possibility of extending the adventure by one year. The pocket size (1.67 m, 77 kg) will discover the French championship next summer. A foreign number 9 was not necessarily the first choice of Grégory Patat, who had looked into the avenues leading to Léo Coly (Montpellier) and Paul Graou, the latter finally extending his lease in Toulouse. “The market for scrum-halves is not super rich,” he confided to “Sud Ouest” at the start of the season. It's a strategic position and for the 9 foreigners who don't know the Top 14, getting started is often a bit long, taking the time to get to grips with our championship. » He has visibly changed his mind. Jantjies will occupy one of the three places in the Basque squad at number 9.

Machenaud received, not Rouet

Who will take last? Maxime Machenaud (35 years old) and Guillaume Rouet (36 years old) are both at the end of their contracts next June. The first has had a very consistent start to the season (five starts in nine matches, two tries), for his third season at the club. He has never hidden his desire to continue his career, primarily in Bayonne, as he indicated to “Sud Ouest” last September. According to our information, he will meet the Rowing management this Friday. The trend is towards a one-year extension. Even if he initially aimed for two more years, the French international (38 caps), happy with his family in the Basque Country, would not decline the offer.

If the operation was finalized, the fate of Guillaume Rouet would be resolved. Hampered by several injuries since the resumption (three matches, one start), the scrum half trained at the club returned to business this Saturday at Mayol. He came on after an hour of the match, in place of Baptiste Germain. His thirteenth professional season could be his last in the sky and white jersey since according to several of our sources, Haspandar has not received the slightest news from Bayonne decision-makers regarding his future. Regularly seen as second or third in the hierarchy in his position, Guillaume Rouet has systematically overturned the predictions to assert himself as the holder along the way. Will he succeed again this year? The answer seems unrelated to its future.