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'It isn't the divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, but there is pain and disappointment'

Laurent Travers (left) and Laurent Labit will wrap up their 14-year co-coaching partnership at the end of the Top 14 season (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Laurent Travers has admitted he feels sad his extraordinary 14-year, co-coaching partnership with Laurent Labit is due to soon end.

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After successful stints together at Montauban, Castres and Racing 92, Labit is off to experience the Test arena after deciding to join the France national team set-up under incoming boss Fabien Galthie, a development that will leave Travers running the show at Racing all on his own.

Having won Top 14 titles at Castres and Racing, the pair seemed inseparable given their successful working arrangement as equal partners. However, that dynamic is about to to finally change, leaving a feeling of nostalgia in the air as Racing attempt to reach the end-of-season title play-offs.

“Of course (you feel nostalgic). It’s normal after 14 years and the results we had with all the players and staffs that we met,” said Travers in a rugbyrama.fr interview.

“This separation is difficult but it doesn’t erase what we achieved together for 14 years. Nor is it the divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. But as in any end, there is pain and disappointment.

“There are choices that he and I take. A new challenge will be presented next season for him as for me, but what is certain is that everyone will want the other to succeed.

“Laurent had this opportunity to be an assistant, with superiors who will be Fabien Galthie and Raphael Ibanez. I wish him all the happiness and be able to succeed.

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“We sometimes had disagreements but I don’t know a couple who doesn’t have any. They were settled in an office and didn’t go further.”

Having operated as a co-coach for so long, next season will be an adjustment for Travers as he goes it alone as a team boss. It’s a challenge he’s looking forward to.

“I will be head coach, that is to say that I will be in charge of all the professional and sports area of the club. It’s a great responsibility and I want to thank president (Jacky) Lorenzetti for the trust he gives me.

“This will not prevent me from continuing to be close to the field because that’s what I like, but I will manage a staff in the image of what can do Franck Azema in Clermont or Pierre Mignoni in Lyon,” he said, going on to admit that the names of Ronan O’Gara and Gonzalo Quesada have been in the mix to link up at Racing as an assistant coach.

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Ronan O’Gara worked under Laurent Travers during his spell at Racing, but he won’t be returning to Paris (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

“Nothing is concrete, yet it’s true that they are part of the short-list. Ronan, I worked with him at Racing recently and I get on very well with him.

“The challenge would have interested him but unfortunately, he told me that we arrived too late because he had already given his word to another club (most likely La Rochelle). Out of respect, I did not ask him which one.

“Regarding Gonzalo, he knows the club and we have been in contact several times. I will not deny that there are contacts.

“What I can say is that next season, in addition to me, we will have a forwards coach, a three-quarters coach who will also be responsible for the attack and the strategy with me, and a coach of the defence. The staff will not be bloated, but everyone will have a well-defined mission.”

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J
JW 52 minutes ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Well there’s a couple of distinctions here that are important aren’t there?


First though like I replied to Tk where does it say theres need to test vets, or proven reliable players? It is simply ‘test quality’.


Now, I have created a list that I think is test quality, so all weve got to do is upskill the missing pieces right? No. Razor might not mean to have given every player half a dozen matchs but he will want to have identified and assured himself that each individual is indeed test quality. So yes, plays like Darry and Lord may still be included in a few squads and used so he’s happy to include them as say 5th and 6th ranked locks, but that doesn’t mean he needs to go to the same level to ensure for himself the 7th and 8th ranked locks.


He might be happy basing performances off SR Finals, or organizing an AB XV match against a team like France or SA with similar locking depth (even organizing say Warner Dearns to be part of the Japan XV etc), and I’m sure they’re going to have a very large squad over in South Africa for two months.


I don’t think he is quite in the same predicament as SA to have to rest top stars. And this is obviously just goal setting, they’re supposed to be hard. As you can see by the context around this series, arbitrary targets like everyone getting some minutes are made. That could also simply be how he ensures he has met the 4. So hookers would be ticked, as he’s already used 5 at test level. If you looked at the Baabaas SA game you’d see Beehre performing like an accomplished test player, that already makes 7 locks with more than 2 full seasons to go. You take the point BA was making about Marshalls previous remarks about Razor want players to be able to play 3/4/5 different positions, that would mean if Razor was really happy with Finau at lock last week he already has 8 test quality locks as well, etc, etc.


TLDR sorry for the big reply, it’s just a goal, the teams not going to suddenly fail if he doesn’t reach it, I think theres many means and many players for him to be comfortable in getting 4 in each position. He’s obviously not going to be able to get 4 proven, hardened test players in each by then, no.

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