This is not a first. the made in UBB had already made a splash in the fall of 2017. At that time, eleven players from Union Bordeaux-Bègles had been selected for test matches. But it was in a very different context with no less than three teams to provide: two XV of France and the Barbarians (kind of reserve of the France team at that time). Four years later, six UBB players were selected by Fabien Galthié, the manager of the Blues: Thierry Païva, Cameron Woki, Maxime Lucu, Matthieu Jalibert, Yoram Moefana and Romain Buros.
This time, all will only prepare for the fall tour (Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France on November 6 and 20 and Georgia at Matmut Atlantique on November 14). This makes the club the second provider of the XV of France behind the inevitable Stade Toulousain (ten players selected).
“It’s a great pride for the club, admits Laurent Marti, we have six players taken but we could almost have had two or three more. It proves that we are working well and that we have the best team the club has ever had, which I have been saying for two years. “
In recent months, the Bordeaux president has never failed to remind him of this and he is far from being wrong with regard to the start of the season for his club (second in the Top 14 after a series of six undefeated games in progress).
No longer there to simply make up the number
“Finally, there is a certain logic, notes the back Romain Buros, afterwards I personally didn’t really expect it, it’s a little surprise ”. Chosen for the tour in Australia this summer, he had not had a minute of playing time. But Fabien Galthié seems to want to see him again. The other difference with 2017 is that this time these players no longer necessarily come to make the number but to have a real role. This is also how we see the evolution of UBB. Behind Matthieu Jalibert and Cameron Woki, who will not be far from the starting XV against Argentina, the other four have a real card to play.
🔴🏉Who is Yoram Moefana, shooting star of @UBBrugby, called with the #XVdeFrance ?
👉The atypical course of the child of Futuna
👉A discreet and introverted young man
👉A formidable hard worker and puncher
+ testimony of his uncle Falatea#UBB #Bordeaux https://t.co/hjcp8uYMyR– Clement Carpentier (@clementcarpet) November 26, 2020
Païva could shake up the hierarchy at the post of left pillar behind Baille, Lucu and his managerial style have strengths, Moefana has a big blow to play with Vincent’s injury thanks to his versatility (center and winger) while Buros will have to take everything what presents itself to him. As for its president, it is above all “a pride” for the club according to Christophe Urios even if for him “there have always been Bordelais” with the Blues. Well, Baptiste Serin then Jefferson Poirot all the same often felt a little lonely in Marcoussis. While there they will be six and especially for the manager of the Union, it is not at all excluded that others will take the TGV to Paris in the coming weeks depending on the injuries. They are surely thinking of Maxime Lamothe, excellent at the heel since the start of the season or of Cyril Cazeaux, already called several times by the French staff in recent months.
Today, UBB has two very high level teams
But of course, all of this comes at a price. It is the price of glory. Ask at Stade Toulousain. UBB will have to do without its best players for a few weeks. And it will not only be the French: Petti and Cordero with Argentina, Dweba with South Africa, Kaulashvili with Georgia, Tameifuna with Tonga or even Mori with Italy. So ultimately is it a chance or a problem to have so many selected? “Both, I want to answer you. Afterwards, we are above all happy for the guys at the start, ”replied Laurent Marti. But it is precisely there that we can also see that this XV of France is a sort of revealer in its own way of the change in status of the Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
Gone are the days of “missing a being, everything is depopulated!” Today, UBB has two very high level teams in its locker room. Just look at the performance of this team during the last tournament of the VI Nations without its master to play Matthieu Jalibert (three victories in four games including a success in Clermont). In a few days, we will surely have to do without some against Clermont or La Rochelle. No big deal for Christophe Urios, he can count on Trinh-Duc, Poirot, Lamerat or Lesgourgues to take over. Just that. So yes the sparks of a Jalibert may be missed a bit (a lot) by the supporters but we can bet this team that it will keep a very good average level except for bad surprises. Because as his manager would say, “a team is smart. When there are people absent, it tightens up. And today at the Union when we close ranks, it remains very thick. Quantitatively but above all qualitatively. And that is new!