1
‘It’s true’: France playmaker Romain Ntamack drops Super Rugby hint
By Finn Morton
French fly-half Romain Ntamack may be on the way to play in either Australia or New Zealand sometime in the future after dropping an intriguing Super Rugby bombshell in a recent radio interview.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ntamack, 24, is widely considered one of the most electric playmakers in Test rugby. The Toulouse pivot is simply the type of player that every team would love to have among their ranks.
While the 37-Test out-half appears comfortably settled at boyhood club Toulouse and with the French national team, Ntamack may head south later in his career.
After releasing his autobiography called “Le rugby dans le sang” – which translates to ‘Rugby in the Blood’ – Ntamack was a guest on French radio where he hinted at a future move to Super Rugby.
“It’s not necessarily relevant right away,” Ntamack told RTL. “But it’s true that the southern hemisphere has always attracted me.
“Since I was little, I’ve always watched Super Rugby.”
Along with French captain Antoine Dupont at halfback, Ntamack is one part of the most exciting halves duo in Test rugby. The pair are lethal as individuals, but deadly as a rugby combination.
But in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup on French soil, both Ntamack and French rugby were dealt a tough hand. Ntamack sustained a devastating injury that ruled him out of the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ntamack ruptured his left knee ligament during a win over Scotland in August. Bordeaux’s Matthieu Jalibert stepped into the No. 10 jersey during the World Cup and was phenomenal.
But France fell short of their dreams and expectations. Without Ntamack, France were sent packing in the quarterfinals after losing to eventual champions South Africa in a one-point thriller
Fans, players and coaches were left devastated as they left to ponder where it went wrong. But in the wake of the defeat, Ntamack has unequivocally defended coach Fabien Galthie.
“I think that with everything he has brought to this team over the last four years, even this elimination in no way calls into question all the work that has been done,” Ntamack added.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He’s the man for the job and there is obviously no debate about that.”
Cool. Be good to see him take down the Crusaders at another outfit
Strange move when you look at the current form of Super Rugby, but he has been talking about going there for a while now. Looking for new challenges I guess, he already won everything with Toulouse.
Not a great career move playing in a sub-standard league…