Nanterre (AFP)

We do not stop him anymore. In the wake of an excellent World Cup with the XV of France, the center Virimi Vakatawa was again decisive with the Racing 92 to outclass the Saracens Sunday in the European Cup (30-10).

"It's in international form, if not more." Like the second line Boris Palu, the teammates of Vakatawa compete superlatives to summarize the beginning of the season of three-quarters, elected man of the match against the European champion after registering a test (10th) on a pass to string of Maxime Machenaud, offered another to Teddy Thomas (26th) and much more.

He even scrapes balloons like a third line! "Last year, he was taking penalties, here he scratches them well," Palu laughs. Difficult also to restrict to a register that has gone from the wing to the center and attended two years the team of France VII (2014-2016). Perforator, Vakatawa (27 years old, 21 selections) now knows how to play after him as well as finish, as shown by his 13 Top 14 entries last season.

Thank you Laurent Labit, who had in 2017, at the time of his return to Racing after the parenthesis of the federal contract, insisted that the original Fijian leaves the wing for the center, even if it is to get out of the small papers of the coach Jacques Brunel, to a position where the competition was dense.

- "He is on fire" -

Vakatawa had to wait until August, and the package of Geoffrey Doumayrou, to reinstate the Blues. Just in time to honor the promise made to his mother, who passed away last winter, to compete in the World Cup. And since, "he is on fire," smiles Baptiste Chouzenoux.

Surprised holder at the World Cup, Vakatawa "has made incredible matches in the French team," said the third line. And since he returned from Japan, "he is doing us a lot of good", adds the Basque. Like Stade Français in Top 14, where he delivered another caviar for Teddy Thomas and contributed to the success of Racing (25-9).

"His fuel is confidence," says Henry Chavancy, his partner at the center who knows him by heart. "Today, the reservoir of confidence is full, he demonstrates it on the field and he puts his talent at the service of the team."

The job of manager Laurent Travers is therefore to maintain this trust. "It's a guy that must be released," says the manager. "You just tell him: Well, play, if you set him too many rules, after a while you lose him." Which does not mean that he does not need to talk. "Contrary to what people think, he needs to be valued, if you tell him nothing, he feels like he's not good, you have to talk to him a lot, make him feel like he's responsabilities."

- More consistent -

If Vakatawa is at the top of his game, it's because he also wins "in consistency", says Chavancy. "He's getting very steady and that's what he missed in the past, but now he's proving weekend after weekend that he's a great player, he's always doing the right thing, he's not someone with an individualism, he has incredible qualities but he really puts them at the service of the collective. "

A collective in which the Fijian feels good because it is "super well integrated," says Palu. "Even though he was at VII, he came to Racing at the age of 18. He is one of the oldest players in the club, he is shy but he is a member of the team. necessarily a lot of talk but he will prove on the ground. "

With such an individuality, Racing can finally hope to lift the European Cup ... except that rugby is above all a collective affair, says Travers. "We need these players who are able to make the difference but they are also dependent on others.If they have the balloons in the good timings, it is also thanks to the forwards, the halves, the three-quarters ... "The Saracens found it at their expense.

© 2019 AFP