Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

A Premiership club has reportedly made a 'colossal offer' for Racing's Virimi Vakatawa

Virimi Vakatawa (Photo by Frederic Stevens/Getty Images)

Gallagher Premiership club Gloucester have reportedly made a “colossal offer” to sign Virimi Vakatawa, the 24-cap France international who will be out of contract at Racing 92 at the end of the 2020/21 season. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The 28-year-old, who is currently considered one of the best players in the world, has played for his Parisian club for a decade but Midi Olympique are reporting that Gloucester, who are in the early months of the new George Skivington era, have made a serious play to secure the services of Vakatawa from next summer as their marquee player outside the revised salary cap.  

It’s believed the offer from Gloucester arrived on the desk of the agent of Vakatawa a fortnight ago, muddying the waters at Racing where some other high profile backs have also had their futures speculated on.

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you the second episode of the Le French Rugby podcast, this week featuring Steffon Armitage

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you the second episode of the Le French Rugby podcast, this week featuring Steffon Armitage

Teddy Thomas is another dashing player whose contract is also up at the end of this season and he is apparently being tracked by Toulouse who are keeping tabs on the views of Jacky Lorenzetti about the winger. 

The Racing president is concerned about Thomas’ injury profile as he has only made 15 Top 14 starts the last two seasons and is yet to appear this term. 

There is also speculation in the French media that Argentine Emiliano Boffelli is being viewed as a replacement for Simon Zebo, another of the Racing stars out of contract next summer. 

Zebo, who was linked earlier this year with the MLR in America, enjoyed a dazzling first season in France, scoring 16 tries in all competitions during his debut 2018/19 season after joining from Munster. However, a serious of injuries hampered his impact last season and he has yet to feature in 2020/21. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Boffelli is another Argentine looking for a way out of the Jaguares, whose Super Rugby momentum has been destroyed by the Covid-19 stoppage.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
Search