« I believe that this jersey belongs to anyone: nothing is acquired. Beddled in a agreed formula, these words are those of Romain Ntamack (25 years, 37 selections). They were pronounced last October, as part of an interview with “Raffut”, when the Toulouse opener still aimed to take part in the last tour of November before a calf injury delayed his reunion with the XV from France. Almost three months later, the facts bring them a scathing denial.
When he enters the lawn of the Stade de France next Friday, to face the Welshmen at the opening of the six-nation 2025, very precisely a year, five months, and 19 days will have passed since his last appearance in the XV jersey France. This endless parenthesis did not, however, scratched the credit which he enjoyed in the eyes of a Fabien Galkié who immediately propelled him into the costume of the number 1 at the opening post.
“Nothing is decided in advance, nothing is dictated: his performances will allow him, or not, to regain his place naturally,” said last week Laurent Sempéré when he was invited to comment on the character obvious to the return of the Toulousain. And from the start of the Blues rally, the opener resumed his place as a holder.
“He worked a lot to come back very hard and he seems ready and determined”
Unlimited credit
As if the rupture of the anterior cross ligament of the left knee which deprived it of the 2023 World Cup had never existed. As if Thomas Ramos had not ensured a brilliant temporary interim between the end of the 2024 tournament and the last tour of November. As if Matthieu Jalibert did not align the leading performances this season in the UBB jersey.
The comment delivered by Fabien Galkié, last Tuesday in Rome during the media launch of the tournament, was relatively disembodied: “He was a player who seriously injured himself just before the World Cup. Then, who still missed the November tour on injury [déchirure au mollet droit, NDLR]. It was very hard for him. We lived difficult times, this one was one. He worked a lot to come back very hard and he seems ready and determined. The sequence of these sentences does not reflect the confidence he grants to him.
The coach has always rented the ability to play Romain Ntamack just. His propensity to fade in the conduct of the game for the good of the collective expression of his team. “It’s logical: I have a key position,” he had blown in “Raffut”: “There are matches during which the defenses will be so compact in front of me that I should only make passes and m ‘Apply to play my teammates. […] I first think of putting them in the best dispositions. When it opens in front of me, I know – I knew how to do it in the past – to take initiatives, but I try not to force my game. It is by yielding to that that I will do bad performances. »»
-Back to the game
The Toulouse opener has not always been brilliant since his return to his competition. But he always brings the same guarantees, estimates the coach of the tricolor attack Patrick Arlettaz: “Romain has this experience of the international level, he has this kind of height compared to the event, this coldness in relation to the actions and this Lucidity which, I hope, will allow us to sort the actions. »»
Antoine Dupont, the captain of the Blues with whom he will compose the favorite hinge of Fabien Galkié, assures not to doubt it: “It’s been a while since he gnaws at his brake, it was very disappointed not to be able to come back in November, that Can be good for the team to find a player of his caliber, even if Thomas (Ramos) made very good games in November. Romain who comes back, it will rebatte the cards and we are all super happy to see him again in full possession of his means. »»
The different episodes crossed by Romain Ntamack necessarily changed it. His plan for the World Cup like his paternity … “All that allowed me to put rugby into perspective. We tend to take the lead in matches, defeats, victories, criticisms … But with my injury and the birth of my son, I realized that there were much more important things in life “, He also testified last October:” We only do rugby. But it is still on the ground that we do it best …
Programme
Friday January 31, at 9:15 p.m.: France – Wales Pays
Saturday, February 8, at 5:45 p.m.: England – France
Sunday, February 23, at 4 p.m.: Italy – France
Saturday March 8, at 3:15 p.m.: Ireland – France
Saturday March 15, at 9 p.m.: France – Scotland
