2023-08-19 06:28:18
A week ago, the question did not arise. Who was going to wear the opening half number 10 in the French rugby team for the World Cup, which begins on September 8? Romain Ntamack, of course. It was before the France-Scotland of August 12. Since then, a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee has forced the Toulouse player to forfeit. Saturday August 19, in a preparation match against Fiji in Nantes (at 9:05 p.m., live on TF1), Antoine Hastoy will have the opportunity to show that he can be a credible alternative to this key position.
At 26, the bearded opener with a mischievous smile has only three selections, but it has been almost three years since the management of the XV of France watches over him and regularly integrates him into the tricolor group in its expanded version. In 2021, he had thus participated in the winter preparation camp for the Six Nations Tournament, without competing, before making his big debut during a short defeat of the Blues against Australia (33-30) during the Southern Hemisphere summer tour. Same scenario the following season, with a tenure in a victory in Japan in July 2022 (43-22).
A player trained in Pau who asserted himself in La Rochelle
At that time, Antoine Hastoy had already established himself as one of the best number 10 tricolors in the French championship under the colors of the Pau Section, his training club. The Béarnais joined him at the age of 14 after having made his debut as a chick with RC Bal (merger of RC Billère and ASPTT Lescar), a club from the Pau urban area. “We didn’t necessarily see him getting to where he is today, he didn’t have a big size, but he showed other qualities, remembers Franck Larroque, leader of RC Bal, who trained him as the youngest. He was a kid who had a sense of the game and who liked to attack. He already had his little smirk too. »
In Pau, the young player gradually imposed himself by first being the understudy of New Zealander Colin Slade, double world champion with the All Blacks (in 2011 and 2015). This complete number 10, skilful with his hands and his feet, has taken another step by moving away from Béarn in 2022 to get out of his ” comfort zone “, as he said himself, and don the jersey of a club with higher means and higher objectives: Stade La Rochelais. He found himself there propelled in the middle of a staff studded with internationals, like the third line Grégory Alldritt and the hooker Pierre Bourgarit, whom he had already crossed in the teams of France of young people.
In Charente-Maritime, the rookie from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques quickly adapted to become a centerpiece of his new team. “It was not me who gave him this place, it was he who won it in training, explained last October, in South West, the manager of Stade Rochelais, the Irish Ronan O’Gara, himself a former opening half of the XV of Ireland. There is never bad luck in rugby, the best meet the best. Antoine is full of energy. It’s even better than I thought. »
Antoine Hastoy competes with Matthieu Jalibert
Antoine Hastoy largely participated in the conquest of the second consecutive European title for Rochelais by being the top scorer in the 2022-2023 Champions Cup (97 points). In the France team, he was, in principle, intended to be at best the understudy of Romain Ntamack. Here he is in competition with Matthieu Jalibert, more experienced and substitute against Fiji, for a possible starting place, unless the back Thomas Ramos doubles the duo by changing position. Regarding this match within the match, coach Fabien Galthié did not indicate where his preference was: “They have to believe in themselves, now is the time to go. »
#Antoine #Hastoy #card #play