At family reunions, Donovan Taofifenua looks a little different with his 1.79 m and 84 kg.
“It's true that we carry him around a bit to family gatherings.
But Donovan is a mixed race.
His mother is from Mons and I come from the islands ”, recognized his father in
Le Parisien
.
Until then, the Taofifenua family, of Caledonian origin, had offered French rugby people some beautiful babies.
The winger or rear of Racing 92, revelation of the start of the season called by Fabien Galthié to prepare for the next Six Nations Tournament, is indeed the son of former hooker Jean-Jacques Taofifenua, who wore the colors of the colors from Grenoble and Bayonne.
His uncle is none other than Willy Taofifenua, the formidable former third row of FC Grenoble, and his cousins are called Romain (20 caps in blue) and Sébastien (2 caps) who are currently playing at RC Toulon.
Another of his cousins, Filimo, plays Aviron Bayonnais.
"READ ALSO -
XV of France: 37 players, executives and some surprises despite the uncertainties about the Tournament
So many fellows who are - or have made - the heyday of French packs.
Donovan, him, plays behind and connects the performances of foreground with the Sky and White.
This season, he has indeed scored eight tries in 11 matches, with several bursts.
Like this hat-trick against Bayonne at the end of November or this attempt at a tightrope walker, suspended in the air, against Connacht in the Champions Cup.
Summoned but not selected this fall
The confirmation of an undeniable talent, world champion under 20 in 2019 with the neo-internationals Demba Bamba, Louis Carbonel, Killian Geraci or Arthur Vincent.
Fabien Galthié has already started to draw from this golden generation and had retained the young Taofifenua, at the beginning of December, for the final of the Autumn Nations Cup, lost narrowly against England (22-19).
Without making it play.
This time he is expected to make his international debut among the “big guys” at the Six Nations Tournament.
#ChampionsCup
@ racing92: Donovan "Superman" Taofifénua's huge test!
pic.twitter.com/Wo8ohZypNO
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) December 13, 2020
In line with his express rise since his arrival this season at Racing 92. A profitable career choice for someone who started rugby in Limoges before joining the Clermont training center.
But, in Auvergne, he was blocked by the competition (Penaud, Raka) and manager Franck Azéma had only given him his chance once.
Five short minutes against Stade Français.
"Contrary to what his size suggests, he wins a lot of duels"
Laurent Travers
The promising winger therefore decides to leave ASM to have playing time. His father returned to
Midi Olympique
on this decision: “The choice to leave, Donovan did it all alone.
He suffered, he cried about it but he took it on, from start to finish.
(…) Clermont, it was his club but over there, his manager Franck Azéma always told him: "
There is too much competition, Donovan
".
My son didn't understand why he was never allowed to prove anything on the pitch, even at the end of the game.
Especially since he came out of a very good world championship with the under 20s.
Donovan often told me about this.
It both disturbed and woke him up. ”
A departure from Clermont which had saddened many yellow supporters.
But that Franck Azéma had justified in the columns of
La Montagne
: "We made a proposal to Donovan to stay but he is worried because he has very little playing time, which is true, and the competition will be lively at his post.
I'm not going to take him to say that we keep a JIFF player, especially if he has insurance elsewhere. "
In Hauts-de-Seine, he immediately had his chance and met Laurent Travers' expectations.
Despite other serious competitors at his post (Imhoff, Thomas, Dupichot, Laborde…).
"Contrary to what his size suggests, he wins a lot of duels", recently explained the manager of Ile-de-France.
The general public should quickly discover the phenomenon in the jersey of the XV of France.
Read also
Government officially calls for postponement of European Rugby Cup
