IThey were born in La Rochelle, were executives of two generations of Bleuets crowned under-20 world champions and are among the biggest French potentials in the 3rd line. However, Matthias Haddad-Victor, 23, and Oscar Jegou, two years his junior, should only experience their second joint start this Saturday, against Stade Français (9:05 p.m.). The fault is the physical problems of the first last season and the extra-sporting problems of the second who, four months after a selection with the Blues and a complaint of rape in the company of Hugo Auradou in Argentina – he is awaiting the examination of his request of dismissal –, will resume the thread of his career.
Their joint presence is not insignificant for the group. Deprived of Levani Botia (forearm) for months, affected by minor injuries to Haddad-Victor and the versatile Ultan Dillane, La Rochelle's third line did little and varied the profiles. The powerful Grégory Alldritt and Paul Boudehent (selected for the November tests) are already at 466 and 509 minutes, compared to 483 for Judicaël Cancoriet, suspended for the next four matches. Only the 2nd line Kane Douglas and the hopeful Édouard Richer replaced them. Enough to generate fatigue felt on the soggy and extremely greasy pitch of Montpellier on October 26 (16-0).
The first one ended short
These conditions would not have favored them, but the absence of these two breakout players was obvious. Faced with a dense MHR and defending its survival and its goal with rage, the Rochelais banged on the door without knocking it down. A reminiscence of the first 24 days of last season. However, Haddad-Victor and Jegou had started the 25th in Toulouse. If the experience had been cut short, due to a premature knockout of “MHV”, the caravel had found a certain momentum in the wake of its younger brother. This was confirmed in the play-off in Toulon (29-34) and earned the 1.90 m, 90 kg flanker a notable first cap against the Pumas (13-28).
“They bring speed, with a good rugby IQ and a great ability to read spaces”
With the aerial Dillane, the third line of La Rochelle will therefore have a new face against the Parisians of Yoan Tanga. “It will first be a fight on the first curtain before thinking about the game in the corridors or the restart,” says Brice Dulin. Without speed, we will have very few spaces, it will be difficult to go around or maneuver them. But these are players whose instincts can help make differences. » “They bring speed, with a good rugby IQ and a great ability to read spaces,” adds Will Skelton. They know where to put their head, what they can do with the ball while being very strong in defense. »
“Oscar is above all a 3rd line without lungs who sticks to the ball, always providing support and who somewhat makes up for the lack of movement of some,” believes Dulin. “Since the start of the season, the others have shown their qualities. But above all, we are looking forward to everyone being able to “match” to combine different profiles depending on the compositions and the game we want to play,” analyzes Rémi Talès, in charge of the maritime three-quarters. We will probably have to wait another month for that.
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