Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

Three to see in the Top 14 this weekend: Radradra, Lambie and Fofana

Semi Radradra

The Top 14 is awash with star players, but three names stand out ahead of the seventh round.

ADVERTISEMENT

Semi Radradra has wasted no time settling in at Toulon. The cross-code, cross-hemisphere Top 14 convert arrived on the south coast of France at the end of September, did a press conference and got down to some hard work on the training pitch.

And he has clearly quickly recalled the vagaries of the union code – and got to grips enough with Toulon’s style to start on the wing for the club for their trip to Bordeaux. There’s plenty of Fijian try-scoring firepower in the Toulon squad for the game – Josua Tuisova is operating at the other side of the pitch.

If Radradra’s rapid elevation to Toulon’s starting ranks has come as a bit of a surprise, Pat Lambie’s inclusion in Racing 92’s squad for their trip to La Rochelle was more anticipated. It had been rumoured for some time that he would make his Top 14 debut this weekend. And club president Jacky Lorenzetti appeared to confirm it earlier this week, long before the team was announced.

Midi Olympique has named Lambie as starting fullback, with Dan Carter at 10.

Of equal interest is the inclusion of prop Ben Tameifuna on the bench, less than a week after he was allegedly involved in an altercation with team-mate Viliamu Afatia in Paris following Racing’s home defeat to Lyon. Afatia is set to start the game.

Meanwhile, Clermont welcome back Wesley Fofana to their starting line-up. The centre has been out of action since he suffered a ruptured achilles during a European Champions Cup pool match in January.

He will line up in midfield alongside the club’s rising star, Damian Penaud, for Clermont’s difficult trip to born-again Toulouse.

ADVERTISEMENT

The most fascinating battle on the field, however, is one that will have scrum-half watchers purring as it pits one-time France scrum-half darling Morgan Parra against new kid on the international block Antoine Dupont.

Clermont’s Parra has been around so long it is sometimes easy to forget that he is only 28. But he has been cast in the role of ageing gunslinger for this encounter, as Dupont – eight years to the day his junior – takes on the young gun part.

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

A
AM 41 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

72 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Joe Marler has sold England down the river – Andy Goode Joe Marler has sold England down the river – Andy Goode
Search