Édition du Nord

Select Edition

Nord Nord
Sud Sud
Mondial Mondial
Nouvelle Zélande Nouvelle Zélande
France France

Atonio - Meafou, un axe droit à près de 300 kg

Uini Atonio (France) pendant le match de rugby des Six Nations entre l'Italie et la France au Stadio Olimpico le 5 février 2023 à Rome, Italie. (Photo David Rogers/Getty Images)

Les points communs entre Uini Atonio et Emmanuel Meafou ne sautent pas forcément aux yeux. Mais à regarder de plus près, les deux joueurs, qui devraient se retrouver l’un derrière l’autre en mêlée dimanche à Cardiff, ont pas mal de similitudes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Il y a bien sûr ce gabarit hors normes (145 kg chacun pour leur poids de forme), bien que le pilier accuse sept centimètres de moins sous la toise (1,96 m contre 2,03). Les deux colosses partagent aussi leur pays de naissance (la Nouvelle-Zélande), leurs origines (les îles Samoa), et une maîtrise rapide et bluffante du français.

Ils ajouteront sans doute dimanche le maillot bleu à cette liste non exhaustive, puisque Meafou devrait enfin démarrer sa carrière avec le maillot frappé du coq. Atonio, lui, a répondu à l’appel de son sélectionneur Fabien Galthié, alors qu’il avait annoncé sa retraite internationale après la Coupe du Monde.

De quoi, deux semaines après l’axe droit Atonio – Tuilagi aligné contre l’Italie (13-13), frôler à nouveau les 300 kg pour ce secteur déterminant dans la bonne tenue d’une mêlée. « C’est confortable de pousser derrière lui », a souri Meafou en conférence de presse, mardi 6 mars, en évoquant cette doublette d’ultra lourds.

De là à penser que le pack bleu va dérouler son rugby dimanche au Principality Stadium, il y a un pas (de géant) que l’on va bien se garder de franchir. Mais un fort tonnage offre toutefois quelques garanties. On l’a vu en début de match lors de France – Italie. Le duo Atonio – Tuilagi a largement contribué à la domination des avants français, du moins avant le carton rouge reçu par Jonathan Danty.

Pourtant, durant son premier mandat, Fabien Galthié avait demandé à ses joueurs les plus lourds (Willemse, Bamba, R. Taofifénua ou même Le Roux) de perdre quelques kilos afin de tenir le rythme d’un match de rugby international.

La réflexion du sélectionneur semble avoir évolué, aidé par les efforts des joueurs concernés. « C’est vrai, c’est une nouvelle étape physiquement pour moi, concède Meafou. Mais je suis une certaine logique : le Top 14, la Coupe d’Europe, et maintenant la scène internationale. J’ai fait l’effort pour être là et pour tenir le rythme ». Tenir le rythme environ une heure, c’est sans doute ce que lui demandera le staff pour sa première. Ensuite, il sera temps de laisser sa place au “léger” Romain Taofifénua, à peine 138 kg sur la balance…

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Commentaires

0 Comments
Soyez le premier à commenter...

Inscrivez-vous gratuitement et dites-nous ce que vous en pensez vraiment !

Inscription gratuite
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

E
EllenMoody 4 hours ago
Great moments in Lions tour history – JPR’s drop goal and the All Blacks' brutal revenge

A Crypto Theft Victim's Journey: How Morphohack Cyber Service Restored My Assets

By: Ellen Moody, Crypto Investor and Advocate

I was left reeling after discovering that my digital wallet had been compromised, resulting in the loss of 39.5 Ethereum. This devastating experience left me desperate for a solution. I reached out to Morphohack Cyber Service. Their team responded with exceptional professionalism and expertise, promptly launching a comprehensive analysis of the blockchain network to track the stolen funds.

Their specialists employed cutting-edge blockchain analytics tools to follow the digital footprint, providing detailed explanations of their methods. It was evident that they possessed a profound understanding of hacker strategies and vulnerabilities. Despite encountering obstacles, they persevered, meticulously tracking the ETH as it navigated various wallets and tumblers.

Throughout the process, Morphohack Cyber Service maintained seamless communication, providing regular updates on the case. Ultimately, their efforts culminated in the successful recovery of 37 ETH, seized from the wallets holding my stolen assets.

I’m profoundly grateful for Morphohack Cyber Service expertise and genuine commitment to helping victims of crypto theft. Their specialized knowledge of blockchain forensics is unmatched. I highly recommend their services to anyone facing a similar situation. In the complex world of crypto, they are truly a trusted ally.

Need Help Recovering Stolen Crypto? Contact Morphohack Cyber Service:

Email: Morphohack@cyberservices.com

Info@morphohackcyber.com

Morphohackcyber.com

1 Go to comments
J
JWH 5 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Do you hear yourself? Do you have any concept of world view? Have you tried looking into why people call Ireland ‘arrogant’? Obviously not.


We started calling you arrogant when you called our captain a ‘shit Richie McCaw’. In New Zealand. On our turf. Don’t think that kind of behaviour really calls for respect, does it.


NZ don’t really talk ourselves up, if anything the rugby does it for us. No kiwi goes in the media and says: ‘We are gonna win the RWC’. However, I have found many instance of IRISH media saying that the Irish should win, without a doubt. THAT is disrespectful.


The All Blacks have played good rugby, even some of the best rugby ever, at many points in history, but I don’t think you could find a single instance of one of those players, or the NZ media, saying that they should whitewash their opponents. Ever.


Now, onto your analysis. Ireland DID choke the QF. They beat the champions, they were ranked first coming into it, a lot of players at the peaks of their powers. Its hard to say that they didn’t choke. Obviously, their preparation was just not as good as NZ, and thats all there really is to it.


If Ireland had repsected that ABs team and that QF more, maybe they would’ve prepared properly for it and won. But they didn’t.


Maybe if Ireland had won their QF last RWC, they wouldn’t have to be in the same pool as SA and Scotland. I mean, its called a draw for a reason. NZ got third last RWC, so of course they should get a reasonable pool, and they were ranked pretty highly too. If you want to talk about easy pools, look no further than Pool 3 with England, Australia, Fiji, and Georgia I think?


Now, obviously you don’t remember how that QF ended, so I’ll go ahead and rectify that. Ireland reclaimed the ball off kickoff and marched for 20ish phases into the opposition half. Savea then won a turnover, but the referee refused to give it, so play went on. Finally, at the NZ 22, after not giving up a single penatly in 25 phases of hard defense, Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, wins the game with an incredible steal.


Now, NZ players having a go at Ireland. Do you cry when you get hit after making the first swing? We all know Sexton is a prick on the field, its just the truth. And Ioane never backs down from a clash, so he thought he should humble a player who has never won an international knockout game who thought he was all that. Don’t really see the issue, its poetic justice really.

83 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Fijian Drua rising star stunned by shock news before Hong Kong Sevens Fijian Drua rising star stunned by shock news before Hong Kong Sevens
Search