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Two Fijians are the examples for Bastareaud's backs-to-forwards positional gamble

Mathieu Bastareaud barges over for a Toulon try in the 2015 Champions Cup final (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

It was last January when maverick Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal floated the notion about a new position for Mathieu Bastareaud. “My thinking today is: is it a 12? I think it could be the best French No8,” he pondered.

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Six months later, that repositioning is about to happen thanks to the veteran midfielder’s omission from the France squad for the World Cup in Japan. 

Jacques Brunel’s axe created the vacuum that will see Bastareaud pitch up at Lyon on a short-term deal as a Top 14 joker before he heads across the Atlantic for his planned taste of the Big Apple and the 2020 Major League Rugby season in New York. 

Before he lands in America, though, his positional switch will be one of the most talked-about topics in the early months of the new Top 14 season. His switch from backs-to-forwards sounds unusual, but he is by no means a pioneer judging by a list produced by the French sports daily, L’Equipe.  

Patrice Collazo, the Toulon boss whom Bastareaud is set to return to work under for the 2020/21 season, has a form for this backs-to-forwards switch. While at La Rochelle he was involved in repositioning Fijian centre Levani Botia to blindside flanker. 

The Fijian’s performances in his revised role didn’t disappoint, but the experiment ended after Collazo’s departure as the player wanted to return to his favourite position in the midfield. 

Botia wasn’t Collazo’s only experiment, but he was his most ambitious. Jeremy Sinzelle, La Rochelle’s usual wing or full-back, was given a decent run at out-half, while scrum-half Arthur Retière has been moulded into a back three player in recent seasons.  

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Backline versatility is not uncommon, admittedly. Look at how Clermont’s two most recognisable midfielders, Aurélien Rougerie and Wesley Fofana, were wingers long before they stamped their authority at centre, with Damian Penaud moving in the opposition direction, from midfield to wing. 

There are many similar movements, but it’s another Fijian who provides the second example of a recent Bastareaud-like switch. When Semi Kunatani arrived at Toulouse in 2015, the French club started him on the wing.

However, they repositioned him in the back row after two seasons and it is the flanker role he has continued to fill since his move last summer to Harlequins in England. 

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R
RedWarrior 23 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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LONG READ Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline? Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?
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