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Racing may have Nyanga's replacement in 6'2, 110kg backrow signed from rugby nursery
By Alex Shaw
Racing 92 yesterday announced the signings of several star players for next season, including All Black Dominic Bird and Fijian fly-half Ben Volavola, but it is the addition of Jordan Joseph that may be the acquisition we all talk about in the years to come.
Just 17 years of age, Joseph is a powerful ball-carrying back-rower and played a pivotal role in delivering victory for the France U20 side at the World Rugby U20 Championship on Wednesday. With his side trailing at half-time to an understrength Ireland team, Joseph’s second half arrival sparked a resurgence from France and the teenager played a key role in their narrow win.
A product of the RC Massy club in Paris, Joseph (6'2, 110kg) is the latest in a growing and extensive line of dynamic back-rowers to come out of the club. Yacouba Camara got the ball rolling a few years back, before the likes of Sekou Macalou and Judicaël Cancoriet joined the party in the seasons to come. Rabah Slimani also spent time at the club before his rise to prominence and Gabriel N’Gandebe is another product that we will hear much more about in the not too distant future.
The Pro D2 club have become a productive producer of talent in the south of Paris, with their Parisian rivals Stade Français and Racing 92 often quick to swoop and pluck talent away from the club, whilst Toulouse, Montpellier and Clermont have all also signed youngsters from the club in recent seasons.
Losing Joseph will be a considerable blow for Massy, but their successful battle against relegation from the Pro D2 this season at least points towards a future where they may be able to more successfully retain their homegrown stars.
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Latest Comments
The England backs can't be that dumb, he has been playing on and off for the last couple of years. If they are too slow to keep up with him that's another matter.
He was the only thing stopping England from getting their arses handed to them in the Aussie game. If you can't fit a player with that skill set into an England team then they are stuffed.
Go to commentsSteve Borthwick appointment was misguided based on two flawed premises.
1. An overblown sense of the quality of the premiership rugby. The gap between the Premiership and Test rugby is enormous
2. England needed an English coach who understood English Rugby and it's traditional strengths.
SB won the premiership and was an England forward and did a great job with the Japanese forwards but neither of those qualify you as a tier 1 test manager.
Maybe Felix Jones and Aled Walter's departures are down to the fact that SB is a details man, which work at club level but at test level you need the manager to manage and let the coaches get on and do what they are employed for.
SB criticism of players is straight out of Eddie Jones playbook but his loyalty to keeping out of form players borne out of his perceived sense of betrayal as a player.
In all it doesn't stack up as the qualities needed to be a modern Test coach /Manager
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