Rugby World Cup: Life Without Romain Ntamack, a New Puzzle for the French XV The blow hit hard on Monday, August 14, for the French XV. Less than a month before a home World Cup, the Blues lost their playmaker. Injured during the match against Scotland on Saturday, August 12, Romain Ntamack has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee. His dream is over, and with it, the entire team is questioning itself. A definite starter, the player from Stade Toulousain has been on the rise for four years, reaching a peak of form in the national selection. His partnership with Antoine Dupont at halfback was one of the team France’s best assets, and they must now learn to live without him.
Emile Ntamack, Romain’s father and a former French international, has nevertheless emphasized the need to move on quickly for the French XV. “We must not be mistaken: we lose an important element, but that’s how it is, the collective will adapt. No one is irreplaceable.” The sentiment is echoed by Guy Accoceberry, a consultant for Franceinfo and a former international, who believes that “the team’s performance must remain the same, with or without Romain. Now, we need to find the right formula.” This challenge is softened by the groundwork laid by the Blues over the past four years, forming the “collective strength” of the group. “It shouldn’t destabilize them even though Romain was the number 10 for this World Cup,” highlighted Vincent Clerc for Radio France. However, Guy Accoceberry points out that “the group will take a little hit.” Now, it remains to be seen who will replace the player who started in victories against the All Blacks, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, and even England at Twickenham.
Matthieu Jalibert: The Logical Successor with Added Flair? Over the past two years, the Union Bordeaux-Bègles fly-half has established himself as the second choice in the French national team. Instrumental during the last November tour, especially against Australia, he offers a slightly more offensive profile than Romain Ntamack. Playful and unpredictable, he has so far excelled as a finisher, particularly against teams worn down by the course of the matches. With 24 caps, he remains an experienced player accustomed to international challenges. Sometimes overly daring, he still possesses world-class skill, capable of unlocking numerous situations. In good form and confidence, he can be the X-factor for the Blues. His synergy with Maxime Lucu, Yoram Moefana, or Louis Bielle-Biarrey in the backline is an asset, even though these three players are more rotation-oriented. Defensively, the Bordeaux player will need to elevate his game.
Antoine Hastoy: A “Ntamack-like” Successor? With three international caps to his name, the Rochelais doesn’t boast the same international experience as Matthieu Jalibert. However, while the former Palois had no European cup matches at the beginning of last season, he has since won the competition with La Rochelle, impressing with his performances for a newcomer. In the Top 14, he also had a standout year, taking his game to the next level. A starter in 26 out of 28 matches this season, he has become the undisputed starter for the European champions.
What’s more, his playing style seems akin to Romain Ntamack’s. A manager, distributor, but also capable of piercing the opposition’s defense or producing moments of brilliance, his profile fits well for succeeding the Toulouse player. However, his inexperience at this level might lead him to take fewer risks and play a more cautious game. It’s worth noting that his compatibility with Jonathan Danty or certain members of the pack like Uini Atonio or Grégory Alldritt could work in his favor.
Thomas Ramos: More Than a Backup Plan? It must be stated upfront: seeing Thomas Ramos start the World Cup as the starting fly-half for the Blues would be quite curious for a player primarily positioned as a fullback. However, his qualities in a position he has already played extensively, along with his synergy with Antoine Dupont, are significant assets. While it might seem unlikely for him to take on the fly-half role for the French team from the get-go, it’s much more plausible to see him shift there, as he did on Saturday, August 12, against Scotland, after Romain Ntamack’s exit.
Nonetheless, the Toulouse player has established himself in the French backline and his versatility is an important factor when selecting the bench composition and the number of backs to be seated there. His occasional defensive misjudgments or out-of-sync actions might work against him. Melvyn Jaminet also seems to fit this role to a lesser extent.
Antoine Dupont: The Gambit? Just like with Thomas Ramos, there’s not much talk about Antoine Dupont switching positions a month before the World Cup, relinquishing his cherished number 9 jersey to replace his fellow Toulouse player. The scrum-half will undoubtedly remain in his usual position. Once again, it’s the in-game adjustments that might lead the player from the High Pyrenees to shift to fly-half, along with his prior experience in that role at the club level. With success.
Against Ulster in the European cup in 2022, it was Dupont who enabled his team to qualify while playing at number 10. Since then, the experiment has been repeated, and while it might not be the primary option given how crucial the captain of the Blues is behind the pack, the idea cannot be dismissed. Especially considering that Maxime Lucu, relegated to playing for a mere ten minutes at most, can take over for an extended period.
