Top 14 – Toulouse: Romain Ntamack, here we go again

Certainly, there were firsts in the Top 14 for Matias Remue and Simon Daroque. This was also the last duplicate of the fall sequence. But the main event of the match against Perpignan last Saturday was obviously the return to competition of Romain Ntamack. Package for the World Cup from which he was largely absent from the French side and then for the 2024 6 Nations Tournament, due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee, the opener finally had to wear the French XV jersey during the November tour… Failed. On October 12, he suffered a tear in his right calf which deprived him of the blue jersey. If hope remained regarding his presence against the All Blacks at first, the choice of caution was ultimately made. In agreement with Fabien Galthié's staff, Ntamack gave up on the entire tour, in order to get back to 100%, without putting unnecessary pressure on himself. “By following the doctors of Toulouse and the XV of France, what is very clear is that we will take the time to respect the protocols linked to the injuryaffirmed Galthié at the start of the rally. We have other competitions coming up. There is no urgency to play again with the France team.” To return to the international scene, he will therefore have to wait for the next Tournament, in which he could be a major player. But “NTK” has already pushed back the Top 14 pitches against Usap. A meeting where, in the absence of many executives, he was inevitably given responsibility. “He is a very serious person, so he worked very well during his convalescence period.said scrum half Paul Graou, who was associated with him at the hinge. Romain is in good shape.”

Mélé: “The Roman we know”

The person concerned responded physically, making several big tackles, an area in which he is used to reassuring himself when he returns from injury. If he experienced waste in the first period with a blocked clearance (which almost cost a try) and a penalty not found, he had the virtue of remaining concentrated and calm. One of its immense strengths. On arrival, by being decisive on the second try and in charge of several impactful offensive sequences, he signed an encouraging comeback. “We saw the Roman we knownoted coach David Mélé. A leader who organizes the game around him. He got involved once in the first half and it ended in a try, so that's pretty interesting. When he plays his game, it's very hard to defend. He has the triple threat: the pass, the foot and the commitment. And, eight days before attacking the Champions Cup for which he made a triumphant return from the round of 16 last season, he has the opportunity to gain momentum in Créteil. “I hope he will have a string of big matches.”whispered Graou. Because Ntamack has this ability to weigh in crucial meetings, which will be numerous until the Tournament. After the duel against Perpignan, Mélé added: “It was his return match, he can be much better but it's very positive. We want to quickly find him at his best level for the important deadlines that are coming.”