The “Peato show” is endless. It was under the floodlights of the Stade de France that he made his debut. As a hooker, the Toulouse player delivered a top performance, for around fifty minutes spiced with a try, before moving to the third line under the coaching of Fabien Galthié. A position among others since, as the coach noted, it was in a winger position – and in a scoring position – that he finished this one-sided encounter against Japan (52-12). A remark which also sparked this teasing comment from the nonetheless placid Antoine Dupont: “He didn’t want to score. »
The little valve is not stolen. Because his number, Peato Mauvaka (27 years old, 31 caps) gave him a happy extension well after the final whistle of the first test for the Blues in this autumn tour. Although shy, the player from Polynesia is as naughty in the game as he is facetious in front of the microphones. A field of action where, if he always speaks in a sometimes suppressed voice, he likes to multiply the “punchlines”. Selected pieces.
“I even gave advice on the nine position to Dupont: if he wanted, I would replace him”
Trust
Asked about his change of position during the match, he first gave a reminder of his pedigree before placing a gentle dig at his captain: “I started playing center when I was young, I played third row for several years, I even finished the preparation match for the World Cup against Fiji in third row, I sometimes train in this position… I even gave advice on the nine position to Dupont : if he wanted, I replaced. »
When it was then reported to him that Grégory Alldritt had declared that he had admitted to having ended up on the verge of asphyxiation, he then did not hesitate “to put a small coin” at the address of the La Rochelle number 8 : “I'm not used to playing 80 minutes and especially finishing on the third line. So, I see what Greg feels in every match. But I think I was still less in the red than him (laughs).”
Finally launched on the new try that he scored, at the end of a combination in the line-up in touch with Antoine Dupont, Peato Mauvaka this bet: “If I have the chance to play for a long time in the French team, I I hope I will beat Damian Penaud (laughs). »
He's not there yet. But Peato Mauvaka never ceases to surprise since his explosion in the French team. A change of dimension began when he returned after just 12 minutes of play during the opening match of the World Cup against New Zealand to compensate for Julien Marchand's injury. Before that, he had already had the opportunity to shine. We remember his fantastic match, marked by a double, against the All Blacks – already – in the fall of 2021.
But it was not until the fall of 2023 that the man who was number 2 in the position began to give his full potential. And since then, this player with visibly limitless physical abilities has continued to dazzle his partners, his coaches and observers.
Galthié: “I want us to follow him”
“He’s in good shape. He’s a very, very fit player,” insisted Fabien Galthié on Saturday evening: “We see him in training. And what he does in training, he reproduces on the field. He is a very good leader for us. I want us to follow him. »
Peato Mauvaka undoubtedly has a singular talent. Tough in combat, he is inexorably drawn to the game. An appetite which is enabled by silky gestures, an ability to project himself into all spaces and an immoderate taste for risk-taking.
“I started rugby in Nouméa, at 14 or 15 years old, in a club where the juniors trained with the seniors,” he told “Sud Ouest” last time: “But there was only golgoths! As I didn't know how to play rugby, I did everything to avoid being tackled when I had the ball, while the others kept running into each other. Me, I was looking for spaces or to make passes. It stuck with me. »
A character trait which, in addition to his talent, opened up the field of possibilities for him. Today, almost no position seems beyond the reach of the hooker. “It no longer surprises us,” Alexandre Roumat says with a smile. He has the ability to play 6, 7, 8. We even had them jump into touch! He can play all positions up front, even behind: he loves the game. From the moment the game starts, there is no longer really a position. If there's one guy who embodies that, it's him. »
