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Eighteen months after his last cap, France turn to Fijian Virimi Vakatawa

Virimi Vakatawa in action during his last France appearance in February 2018 (Photo by Lynne Cameron/Getty Images)

Virimi Vakatawa has been called into the France World Cup squad to replace the injured Geoffrey Doumayrou, the midfielder who was ruled out last Thursday after picking up an Achilles tendon injury in training. 

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The 27-year-old Fijian-born winger has been out of favour with Jacques Brunel for a considerable length of time, earning the last of his 17 Test caps in the February 2018 Six Nations win over Scotland in Edinburgh. 

However, that considerable gap without an appearance is now set to be bridged following his call-up to the RWC squad replace Doumayrou, who had started at centre on eight occasions and come off the bench twice more in France’s last 14 matches prior to last weekend’s 32-3 warm-up rout of Scotland.

Vakatawa, who had been busy preparing for the new Top 14 season with Racing 92, came through a series of medical checks with the French backroom staff and will link up with Brunel’s squad on Wednesday ahead of their rematch against the Scots at Murrayfield next Saturday. 

Vakatawa’s inclusion for the finals further highlights how Fijian-born players are set to have a part to play at the World Cup in Japan with other nations. 

Clermont’s Aliverti Raka made a try-scoring debut just last Saturday for France in Nice, while other fellow Test level newcomers are Crusaders’ Sevu Reece, who started for the All Blacks in last Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup rematch, and the Rebels’ Isi Naisarani, who played with Australia. 

In nominating winger Vakatawa as midfielder Doumayrou’s replacement, Brunel ignored the recall hopes of Mathieu Bastareaud, the biggest big-name casualty when the 31-strong French squad for the finals in Japan was originally selected in June.    

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Bastareaud has instead linked up with Lyon on a short-term deal for the duration of the World Cup before packing his packs for the 2020 MLR season with Rugby United New York.    

WATCH: Mathieu Bastareaud’s post-MLR career may already be decided

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TI 3 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Rieko took literally years to turn from a defensive liability at 13 into a guy, who’s defensively sound as it befits the position. And it all came at the cost of him being much less of an offensive threat, than what he used to be. Proctor is a natural 13, he handles, passes, and kicks way better than Rieko ever will, he just isn’t as fast.


It’s unfair to judge Tupaea on the handful of games he’s had in 2022 before he got nearly crippled by a Wallaby lock. What could Tupaea/Proctor pairing be, if they got the same amount of chances as Jordie/Rieko?


Because no matter how you spin it, playing a player outside of his natural position is a poor asset management. No matter how talented he is, he still competes against players who had years and years of practice at the position. And if said guy is so talented that he actually CAN compete against specialists, imagine how much better still he could have been, if he had all those years to iron the toothing issues at the position. It just drives me mad.


Two things I hate in rugby union beyond description: aping after league, and playing players outside of their natural position. Especially considering, that they all admit they hate it, when they’re allowed to speak freely. Owen Farrell spent 80% of his international career at 12, saying every time when asked, that he is a 10 and prefers to play at 10. Those players are literally held at a gunpoint: play out of position, or no national jersey for you.

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