Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

Bastareaud will be changing position at new club Lyon

France centre Mathieu Bastareaud. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Lyon have won the race to sign Mathieu Bastareaud on a short-term deal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jacques Brunel left Bastareaud out of the 31-strong France squad for the Rugby World Cup, the centre even failing to be included in the standby list of the players also announced.

The question then became where would he play prior to his MLR assignment with Rugby United New York.

The hulking centre was spotted at the Lyon last week, who have now confirmed the signing.

However, his new club may play him in a new position – in the back row.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0D0JySg81g/

“With Pierre (Mignoni), we discussed the possibility of playing at Number 8,” he told reporters.

“I told him that I was not closed to play at that position. On the contrary, since we are talking about change, why not continue! It can also be exciting to take on this challenge over this period. After that, I think I still have a lot of work to perform at this key position. But we will try the bet!”

Early this year Thomas Castaignede told RugbyPass he believed Bastareaud could launch a new international career at No.8 for France, insisting the centre is now too slow to command a place in the back division.

ADVERTISEMENT

Castaignede, who won 54 caps for France, told RugbyPass: “I really like Mathieu and he is a really good guy, but for me he is not a centre for France – he is a backrow.

“To play the modern game you need quick guys in the backs and as a No8, Bastareaud could be even better than Louis Picamoles in this position. Mentally it will be difficult for Bastareaud to accept this kind of move but he would be tremendous and he would help the French team. And, we need him.

Bastareaud was left out of France’s plans for the Rugby World Cup in Japan, and was linked a number of clubs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bastareaud will take a massive pay cut to play for MLR side Rugby United New York in 2020, but his World Cup snubbing means he could be left without a club or any competitive rugby for the guts of six months.

Despite being technically under contract with Toulon until December 1st, both parties decided to split ways earlier this week.

While Munster were linked with the giant 126kg centre, Stade Francais and Montpellier looked like leading the race for a short-term contract.

It was later reported that Montpellier had sent him a contract proposal as they want him as cover for Francois Steyn who is expected to be away at the World Cup with South Africa. Financial terms were said to be agreeable, even if the club isn’t Bastareaud’s first choice.

Stade Francais are believed to have sent a proposal to Bastareaud.

Video Spacer
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

H
Hellhound 40 minutes ago
South Africa player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series

There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.


Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.


Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.


They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.


Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.


Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen

4 Go to comments
J
JW 55 minutes ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

No where to be seen OB!


The crosses for me for the year where (from memory);


This was a really hard one to nail down as the first sign of a problem, now that I've asked myself to think about it. I'd say it all started with his decision to not back form and fit players after all the injuries, and/or him picking players for the future, rather ones that could play right now.


First he doesn't replace Perofeta straight away (goes on for months in the team) after injury against England, second he falls back to Beauden Barrett to cover at fullback against Fiji, then he drops Narawa the obvious choice to have started, then he brings in Jordan too soon. That Barret selection (and to a lesser extent Bell's) set the tone for the year.


Then he didn't get the side up for Argentina. They were blown away and didn't look like they expected a fight and were well beaten despite the scoreline in my opinion. Worst performance of the year in the forth game and..


Basically the same problems were persistent, or even exaggerated, after that with the players he did select not given much of an opportunity, with this year having the most number of unused subs I can remember since the amateur days.


What I think I started to realise early on was that he didn't back himself and his team. I think he prepared the players well, don't get me wrong, but I'll credit him with making a conscious choice in tempering his ambition and instead choosing cohesion and to respect (the idea of it being important in himself and his players) experience first and foremost (after two tight games and that 4th game loss). I think he chose wrong in deciding not to be, and back, himself. Hard criticism.


And it played out by preferring Beauden to Dmac on the EOYT (though that may have been a planned move).


I hope I'm right, because going through all the little things of the season and coming up with these bullets, I've got to wonder when I say his last fault is one we have seen at the Crusaders, playing his best players into the ground. What I'm really scared of now is that not wanting a bit of freshness in this last game could be linked with all these other crosses that I want to put down to simple confidence issues. But are they really a sign that he just lacks vision?


Now, that's not to say I haven't seen a lot of positives as well, I just think that for the ABs to go where they want to go he has to fix these crosses. Just have difficult that will be is the question.

24 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Kazuki Himeno: ‘Eddie gave me a task - to be the world's best back-rower’ Kazuki Himeno: ‘Eddie gave me a task - to be the world's best back-rower’
Search