France playmaker worried he might miss Paris battle against Boks

SPOTLIGHT: France flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert said he “doesn’t feel very positive” about his chances of playing for Les Bleus against South Africa on November 8 after injuring a thigh as Bordeaux crushed Bayonne on Saturday.

In the final minutes of a 41-12 home win, the flyhalf suddenly grimaced and clutched his leg.

“I felt something strange in my thigh, where I’ve had problems for several years,” he said. “Based on how it feels, I don’t think it’s very positive.”

“It’s spoiling the party a bit for me tonight [Saturday],” he said, two days before the French team gathers at their training centre at Marcoussis before internationals against the Springboks, Fiji and Australia.

“He’ll have to undergo tests,” said Bordeaux-Begles manager Yannick Bru told a press conference.

“I really hope it’s nothing serious with his thigh because he really deserves to be involved in this international break after all the effort he’s put in and his physical transformation,” added Bru.

The victory kept Bordeaux-Begles third in the Top 14.

Pau, who started the weekend top of the table, scored the only two tries at Racing 92, both in the first 20 minutes, but lost 10-15. Ugo Seunes kicked five penalties for the home team while the visitors did not land a single scoring kick.

Across Paris, Stade Francais scored five tries as they beat Montpellier 35-12 to take top spot.

Montauban won the ‘game of fear’ between the division’s two winless teams. They beat visiting Perpignan 29-22.