Samu keeps Wallaby dream alive at Bordeaux-Begles
PREVIEW – ROUND 11: Bordeaux-Begles back row forward Pete Samu says he still wants to represent Australia as his high-flying French club welcome Montpellier in the Top 14 on Saturday.
Samu, who turns 33 next month, last featured for the Wallabies in July 2023, three months before he moved to France, and has missed out on selection under new coach Joe Schmidt.
Schmidt ends his first year in charge by heading to Ireland, at the same time as Samu will be running out for Bordeaux-Begles after wins over England and Wales and a defeat to Scotland so far this month.
“I feel I haven’t quite finished there yet,” Samu told AFP.
“I haven’t spoken to Joe but I can see that they’ve got something good going there.
“They had some good Tests in the November series, they’ve got one coming up against Ireland which will be tough,” the 32-time international added.
Samu is joined in the Bordeaux-Begles squad by fellow Australians Ben Tapuai and Lachlan Swinton as well as former Ireland flyhalf Joey Carbery, with this weekend’s Test in Dublin on their minds.
“We do keep chatting about how the boys are going but I’ll probably see him on Friday and put a little wager on it,” joked Samu.
“It depends but maybe just a coffee on it to keep it light.”
Samu is in his second season in the south-west of France, in one of the world’s leading wine-producing regions.
“I’m not a very big wine drinker but you can see how big wine is here,” the former Brumbies and Crusaders forward said.
“We live right next door to a vineyard which is pretty cool.
“We go for walks around it and get to see everyone working in the vineyard and how they manage that area.”
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Nullify Vunipola
A key member of the Bordeaux-Begles side is France flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert, who is given the keys to spark a star-studded backline.
On one wing for last season’s Top 14 runners-up is Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who stole the show during Les Bleus’ three wins over Japan, New Zealand and Argentina this month by scoring four sensational tries.
“It’s great when you’re on his side,” Samu said.
“You just give him the ball and he does his thing.
“We’ve got some world-class players in the back line. They’re a real good bunch of boys too.”
Second-placed Bordeaux-Begles can move up to first in the Top 14 this weekend if they beat Montpellier and league leaders Toulouse lose at Racing 92.
Coming up against Samu in the Montpellier back row could be former England international Billy Vunipola, whom he faced three times in the July 2022 Test series.
“He’s a great ball carrier and he’s just a big body there,” Samu said.
“We’ve got to make sure that we’ve done our work around that and hopefully try and nullify him.”
Toulouse heads to the French capital, days on from scrumhalf Antoine Dupont winning World Rugby’s men’s sevens player of the year award after his Olympic gold medal in July.
The other standout tie from the last weekend of domestic action before the Champions and Challenge Cups start is Stade Francais’ trip to Bayonne fresh from their Parisian derby success over Racing last Sunday.
