Tevita Tatafu has signed, things are moving for Yoram Moefana, Jalibert on hold… UBB’s hot files

DFile closed. After courting Tevita Tatafu (21 years old, 1.83 m, 150 kg) for several months – namesake of the third row already playing for UBB – the Bordeaux management secured the signing of the right pillar of Aviron Bayonnais in recent weeks. The Tongan, who enjoys the status of Jiff (player from the training sector), was under contract until 2026 in the Basque Country. But he had an exit clause (500,000 euros) that he activated to join Yannick Bru, the manager who initiated his arrival in Bayonne in 2019, as well as his uncle, Toma Taufa who arrived in Gironde last January. Coincidence? Probably not.

Bordeaux recruiters have deployed significant persuasion efforts to attract a player eligible for the French XV on November 1st and who, followed by Fabien Galthié’s long-standing staff (as proven by his presence in the extended group before the tour in Argentina), could make his international debut during the next tour in November: they have put a contract on the table for four seasons.

This arrival is part of the company’s effort to strengthen the UBB forward pack: Tevita Tatafu will strengthen the right axis of the scrum in a position where Bordeaux already has Ben Tameifuna, whose contract ends in June 2025 and whom they want to keep, and Sipili Falatea. The move looks like an excellent operation. But UBB president Laurent Marti has other hot files to finalize.

1 Matthieu Jalibert, see you in October

The most emblematic of them obviously concerns Matthieu Jalibert (25 years old, 33 caps). At the end of his contract in June 2025, free to commit wherever he wants since July 1st, the international fly-half has still not re-signed. And this while an offer of extension, accompanied by a salary increase bringing his emoluments to nearly 850,000 euros, had been sent to him at the end of last season.

Yes, but as “L’Equipe” indicated last week, the latter has now expired. And if, according to our information, the number 10 is in favor of extending his lease in Gironde, Laurent Marti does not seem inclined to make him a new offer as generous. Not as much as the first one in any case.

Should we conclude that Matthieu Jalibert’s future is written far from Bordeaux? Not necessarily. On the one hand, because the landing points are limited for a player of this standing. Long interested, Stade Français recruited Louis Carbonel and Toulon, heavily penalized for an infraction of the salary cap regulation last July, no longer wants to make any more crazy moves. And on the other hand because communication has not broken down between Laurent Marti and Matthieu Jalibert. As indicated by “L’Equipe”, and confirmed by “Sud Ouest”, the two parties have agreed to meet again in October.

2 Yoram Moefana, well on his way to staying

The Matthieu Jalibert case is highly symbolic. But the one affecting Yoram Moefana (24 years old, 27 caps) is no less important. At the end of his contract in June 2025, elevated to the rank of priority for Bordeaux decision-makers, the international center had expressed his desire to extend in Gironde at the end of last season. A necessarily positive sign. But since then, the case has been at a standstill for a long time.

Worrying? According to the latest news, no. Targeted by a diligent court orchestrated by Stade Toulousain, which is looking for a successor to Pita Ahki (31 years old), undoubtedly the most successful center in recent seasons, Yoram Moefana had seemed to send a clear message by displaying his intentions to extend his contract. But the Toulouse recruiters have not disarmed. An offensive that has long kept doubts in the player’s mind.

If Yoram Moefana is happy in Bordeaux, where he plays alongside his uncle Sipili Falatea, the prospect of being installed as the first starting center in a three-quarter line led by Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, the two mainstays in the French team, has not left him indifferent. Discussions have resumed however: in the last few hours, Yoram Moefana was getting closer to an extension. Now to conclude…

3 The unknown Tevita Tatafu and its consequences

The unknown Moefana is a Source of concern. But she is not the only one. Yannick Bru must also deal with the risk of Tevita Tatafu (28 years old, 14 caps) leaving – the third row this time. The Japanese international, who arrived in Bordeaux in 2023, has established himself as one of the very best number 8s in the Top 14 in just one year. But he is thinking of returning. Why? While Bordeaux want to keep him, while Japan coach Eddie Jones seems to view the fact that he is playing in France with a positive eye, his reasons are said to be personal.

This decision has not been ratified. But Laurent Marti is preparing for it. The possible departure of Tevita Tatafu would deprive his team of a major player. This while the extension of the Australian second row Adam Coleman (32 years old, 38 selections with Australia, 3 with Tonga) is not yet assured, the player whose contract ends next June has not yet made his intentions known… As a result, the president of the UBB has started looking for similar profiles.

Second row Posolo Tuilagi (20 years old, 5 caps) would please him, even if the one who became an international during the last Six Nations has extended his contract with Perpignan until June 2026. Always keen to strengthen at hooker, the Girondins recruiters are prospecting. Castres international hooker Gaëtan Barlot (27 years old, 9 caps) is on their radar: he is under contract at CO until 2025.