Brits abroad

[francoisfou]

Round 15 of ProD2 gets under way this evening with Grenoble v Provence.
For Grenoble, former Ospreys' and Wales' flyhalf Sam Davies starts at 10 for Grenoble along with 2nd row Pierce Philips, who played for Worcester 2017-19.
For Provence the evergreen Jimmy Gopperth wears 10.

Provence would've been top if they'd won, but they were stuffed 45-10.
The other round 15 fixtures are this evening:

Vannes v Angoulême - Sione Kalamafoni (not a Brit, but we know him from the Premiership with Glaws and Tigers) wears 8 for Vannes (who are top)
Rouen v Mont de Marsan - Valentino Mapapalangi (ditto, and also played for Tigers) is at 8 for Rouen (who are bottom)
Agen v Valence Romans - Ex Tiger Joe Maksymiw wears 4 for Agen and Henry Purdy 22
Biarritz v Brive - Zack Kibirige wears 14, Jonathan Joseph 13, former Wales centre Tyler Morgan 12 and Charlie Matthews 4 for Biarritz (a lowly 15th)

Edit! I had forgotten that Billy Searle starts at 10 for Biarritz.

[Peej]

Biarritz are one of the great disasters of professionalism in how poorly they were run and managed

[Epaminondas Pules]

Arundell scored another for Racing in their 34 v 30 victory against Castres

[Margin_Walker]

Arundell scored another for Racing in their 34 v 30 victory against Castres

Yep, would have had another without a really unlucky bounce. Looking really sharp with the ball in hand. 6 tries in 5 T14 games now (4 starts). Only Penaud has more with 7 in 6 (5 starts).

Naturally the only thing being talked about on Twitter is him missing a tackle. A very soft one to be fair but it didn't lead to anything.

[francoisfou]

Bigger, White, Brookes and Ribbans start for Toulon at home to Munster and Singleton on the bench, and the team captain is Monsieur Ribbans!

[francoisfou]

Lyon v Connacht - Joel Kpoku 4 for Lyon
Ulster v Toulouse - Blair Kinghorn 15, Jack Wills 20 for Toulouse
Leinster v Stade Français - Zack Henry 10 for SF
Cheetahs v Pau - Dan Robson 9 for Pau
Bath v Racing - Henri Arundell 11 for Racing

[16th man]

Arundell scored another for Racing in their 34 v 30 victory against Castres

Yep, would have had another without a really unlucky bounce. Looking really sharp with the ball in hand. 6 tries in 5 T14 games now (4 starts). Only Penaud has more with 7 in 6 (5 starts).

Naturally the only thing being talked about on Twitter is him missing a tackle. A very soft one to be fair but it didn't lead to anything.

If it had been on telly over here, that would have been it for him on these boards.

[francoisfou]

Big match in ProD2 this evening featuring teams vying for promotion to the Top14 when Béziers (3rd 49 points) are at home to Provence (2nd 49 points) in the opening match of round 17.

Harry Glynn, former Tigers' Academy fly half, who had a spell with La Rochelle will wear 20 for Béziers, and for Provence Jimmy Gopperth (an honorary Brit) wears 21 and Tomas Francis 23.
George North has signed for Provence for next season and rumours abound that Courtney Lawes may sign too.

[francoisfou]

The rest of round 17 of ProD2 will be played this evening:

Brive v Montauban - Sam Johnson 13 and Ross Moriarty 7 for Brive; Semesa Rokoduguni 14 and WillGriff John 23 for Montauban
Biarritz v Valence Romans - JJ 13, Billy Searle 10 and Charlie Matthews 4 for Biarritz; George Worth 14 for Valence Romans
Grenoble v Dax - Sam Davies 10 for Grenoble
Agen v Aurillac - Ex Quins' centre Harry Sloan 12 for Agen
Rouen v Nevers - Ex Newcastle and Exeter 2nd row Will Witty 4 for Rouen

[francoisfou]

French team news forthe Champions'Cup games:

Racing v Cardiff - 14 Christian Wade, 5 Will Rowlands
Toulouse v Bath - 15 Blair Kinghorn, 6 Jack Wills
Sale v La Rochelle - 23 Jack Nowell

[francoisfou]

Lyon travel to Saracens with Joel Kpoku at 5 against his former club.

[francoisfou]

There's one interesting fixture in the Top14 tomorrow when Pau travel to Montpellier when the Simmonds brothers will be on opposing sides, for the first time in their lives.
Their clubs' fortunes are rather different so far this season, with Montpellier (Champions a couple of seasons ago) currently four points adrift at the bottom and Pau in a position to qualify for the end of season playoffs.
Brother Joe is the leading points scorer in the Top14 with 141, 20 ahead of Castres' Pierre Popelin.

[Timbo]

There's one interesting fixture in the Top14 tomorrow when Pau travel to Montpellier when the Simmonds brothers will be on opposing sides, for the first time in their lives.
Their clubs' fortunes are rather different so far this season, with Montpellier (Champions a couple of seasons ago) currently four points adrift at the bottom and Pau in a position to qualify for the end of season playoffs.
Brother Joe is the leading points scorer in the Top14 with 141, 20 ahead of Castres' Pierre Popelin.

How is Sam doing generally? Are the fans happy with him?

[francoisfou]

There's one interesting fixture in the Top14 tomorrow when Pau travel to Montpellier when the Simmonds brothers will be on opposing sides, for the first time in their lives.
Their clubs' fortunes are rather different so far this season, with Montpellier (Champions a couple of seasons ago) currently four points adrift at the bottom and Pau in a position to qualify for the end of season playoffs.
Brother Joe is the leading points scorer in the Top14 with 141, 20 ahead of Castres' Pierre Popelin.

How is Sam doing generally? Are the fans happy with him?

He's been a more or less ever-present in the Montpellier matchday squad, starting 9 of 13 matches and has scored three tries, but I don't know if the fans are happy with him.

[francoisfou]

Biarritz Olympique seems to be a popular club with Brits and in this evening's round 18 ProD2 fixture away to Dax there'll be:

Charlie Matthews 4
Billy Searle 10
JJ 13
Tyler Morgan 13
Zack Kibirige 14
Alfie Petch 23 24 year-old TH prop, former England U20, Exeter, Northampton and even the renowned Goldington Road finishing school.

However, their golden days are in the past (they were Top14 Champions in 2005 and 2006) and are now floundering in 14th place in ProD2 having won only 6 of their 17 matches. Simon Mannix is the current head coach, arriving in December 2023, who will hopefully manage to turn things around.

[francoisfou]

ProD2 round 19 began last night with Agen v Provence with Agen thrashing the leaders 31-7

Agen -14 Henry Pirdy, 22 Harry Sloane
Provence - 3 Tomas Francis, 10 Jimmy Gopperth

This evening's fixtures:

Montauban v Béziers- For Montauban: 15 Semesa Rokoduguni, 7 Karl Wilkins (ex Northampton)
Colomiers v Dax - For Dax: 3 Nephi Leatigaga (ex Tigers)
Vannes v Aurillac - For Vannes: Sione Kalamafoni (ex Glaws and Tigers)
Rouen v Valence Romans - For Rouen: 5 Will Witty (ex Falcons and Chiefs): Valence Romans: 15 George Worth
Angoulême v Biarritz - For Biarritz: 4 Charlie Mathews, 10 Billy Searle, 12 Tyler Morgan, 13 JJ, 14 Zack Kibirige; 23 Alfie Petch( ex Northampton)
Mont de Marsan v Grenoble - For MdM: 5 Myles Edwards (ex Wasps and Worcs), Grenoble: 5 Pierce Philips (ex Worcs), 22 Terence Hepetema (ex irish)
Brive v Nevers - Brive 15 Stuart Olding, 19 Ross Moriarty

[Puja]

Lynagh goes straight into the Italy training squad after announcing his move to Treviso.

Puja

[FKAS]

Lynagh goes straight into the Italy training squad after announcing his move to Treviso.

Puja

I wonder if he'll do better than Odogwu.

[francoisfou]

Lynagh goes straight into the Italy training squad after announcing his move to Treviso.

Puja

I wonder if he'll do better than Odogwu.

I’m surprised that Odogwu hasn’t been included as I seem to remember he did quite well at Stade Français with Gonzalo Quesada was coach before being appointed as coach to the Italian team.

[Mikey Brown]

He’s been injured quite a bit hasn’t he?

[FKAS]

He’s been injured quite a bit hasn’t he?

I might be mis-remembering but I think he mainly sat on the bench for Italy at the world cup after a big build up. To be fair his stats at Benneton look decent, think he's injured currently.

[francoisfou]

Here's an article from today's Telegraph about another Kpoku, who I didn't know is already playing for Racing. I wonder if Fabien Galthié is having him watched?

Youngest Kpoku brother plays for England U20s – but may have been lost to France already
Junior Kpoku discusses his move to Racing 92, training with Siya Kolisi and future ambitions at Test level

Charlie Morgan,
SENIOR RUGBY WRITER
6 March 2024 • 9:38am
Related Topics
Siya Kolisi, Racing 92, England Rugby Union Team


What are team-mates even for, if not to take the mick for how much you speak about Siya Kolisi?

When asked about his influences in the game, Junior Kpoku looks over his shoulder to check if any peers are listening. Then he bursts into a laugh.

“I’m going to get so much hate for this because when I’m in camp, I always talk about him,” Kpoku admits. “But it’s Siya.”

Six months as a Racing 92 colleague of the back-to-back World Cup-winning Springboks captain has proved fruitful. Still just 18, and eligible for England Under-20 next season as well as this Grand Slam-chasing campaign, Kpoku has been absorbing as many pointers as Kolisi can provide.

“He’s helped me a lot,” Kpoku continues, offering specific examples. “When it comes to details at the breakdown, when I’m clearing, he’ll be saying ‘how do you get underneath someone if you’ve lost the battle [to the ball]?’

“With tackling, carrying, all this stuff, how to analyse the opposition. That can be the hardest bit because, when you’re a rugby player, it can be easy to watch rugby just for the sake of it. You should be watching a game to study your opposite man. He’s helped me do that.”

A graduate of the Saracens academy, Kpoku signed a three-year contract with Exeter Chiefs and made his debut for the Devon club in a pre-season friendly last September. After that, though, Racing came in with another offer.

Kpoku sought advice from his family and, with his older brothers already in France, Joel at Lyon and Jonathan with Bourgoin, Junior crossed The Channel as well. He was initially part of the development squad, known as the Espoirs. In that team, he was coached by Yannick Nyanga, the decorated France international born in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kpoku’s parents are from.

The towering teenager stands 6ft 7in tall, making him the middle sibling for height. Joel, a one-time Eddie Jones apprentice joining Pau next season, is 6ft 6in and Jonathan is the tallest by a shade.

Junior’s progress has been impressive. He earned a Top 14 debut in the Paris derby against Stade Francais and then also came off the bench in Bordeaux on Saturday evening to replace Will Rowlands. Kpoku’s eyes widen at the mention of Bordeaux’s humongous forwards – Ben Tameifuna and Adam Coleman started for them – yet that only reinforces what an education he is having.

“I like being pushed to my limits,” Kpoku says. “I like it when I am pushed to places I don’t like being; out of my comfort zone.” Cameron Woki is another mentor in a star-studded Racing squad.

“He’s an amazing rugby player when it comes to defence and line-out,” Kpoku adds. “That’s one of my key focusses, getting the ball back for the team from line-outs, and he does that regularly in the Top 14 and for France. I’ll go to him and say ‘what do I need to be looking at, what do I need to be reading? Is it the ball, is it the other players?’”

Racing have hit a tricky patch, sinking to sixth after losing five league games in succession, yet Kpoku is relishing the “detail” that Stuart Lancaster brings to training. He feared that leaving Exeter would end his England age-group aspirations, but Mark Mapletoft, the England U20 head coach, has kept him in the fold.

Mapletoft recently cited Kpoku’s background in the academy systems of Saracens and Exeter, as well as how he “is ticking many boxes in the positional characteristics we look for in a lock”. In other words, as senior players such as Jack Willis and Joe Marchant left the Premiership for France, the Rugby Football Union did not want to lose a rare athlete.

While he missed the victory over Scotland because of Top 14 commitments – a compliment in itself – Kpoku played all 80 minutes of England U20’s victories over Italy and Wales to begin the Six Nations. A dynamic lock partnership with former Saracens ally Olamide Sodeke, which has been continued from the duo’s days with England Under-18, has caught the eye.


On Friday night at The Rec, England host Ireland in the U20 Six Nations decider. The visitors are bidding for three Grand Slams in a row. England are after their first since the 2021 crop captained by Jack van Poortvliet and featuring Fin Smith.

“Ireland are going to come for us, as we know,” Kpoku says. “They’ve got a good forward pack and backline. In training, we need to deliver. We need to be precise.”

Unless there is a seismic change in policy, Kpoku would need to return to a Premiership club to represent England’s senior side. He sounds willing to be patient, and is keeping his Test options open. France blooded Posolo Tuilagi at 19. You sense they would not wait around if they want to select Kpoku and are able.

“It’s a real privilege to play for England,” Kpoku says. “Obviously, playing in France, not everyone can do that, so I’m lucky. I want to bring energy, I want to help with game plans at the line-out. That’s giving us more of a chance to get the ball back, punish teams and score tries.

“At the moment, I’m taking things one step at a time. I want to finish off with the U20s. I have one more season with them. Maybe England is on the cards, maybe France is on the cards. I don’t know yet. I haven’t spoken to Steve [Borthwick] yet but I’m still young. Time will tell, really.”

It will, indeed. Kpoku has already backed himself to follow a road less travelled. Watching his route from here promises to be intriguing.

[Puja]

Here's an article from today's Telegraph about another Kpoku, who I didn't know is already playing for Racing. I wonder if Fabien Galthié is having him watched?

Youngest Kpoku brother plays for England U20s – but may have been lost to France already
Junior Kpoku discusses his move to Racing 92, training with Siya Kolisi and future ambitions at Test level

Is he French qualified by ancestry? I thought that Joel was having to wait his 5 years to qualify, which means Junior wouldn't be available until after the next RWC.

Puja

[Margin_Walker]

Watched a bit of Racing over the last month or two and they've been a real bin fire after a decent start to the season. 5 T14 losses on the bounce and they've been comfortably beaten in all of them.

Kpoku has looked decent off the bench though. He's going to be a player.

[FKAS]

Racing are a good team on paper but a mediocre one on the pitch. They are drifting into mid table. Looks like there's going to be a fairly hefty squad shake up in the summer. If Lancaster still can't get the results after that he'll be in bother.