Yet more proof that Sekou Macalou is France’s secret weapon
Having a player on your bench that can come on and basically cause havoc in half the positions on the pitch is something that is quite rare and invaluable. In Stade Francais’ Sekou Macalou, France probably have the greatest agent of chaos in the game currently, and someone that can do things no other players can.
While the 27-year-old primarily plays at No8 or at flanker for club and country, it was not too long ago that he was being deployed on the wing against the Springboks from the bench. All Fabien Galthie needs to do is give him the instruction to just smash into as many people as possible, and that is something he does very well, as Brive would attest.
Macalou ran riot in the first half on Saturday at the Stade Amédée-Domenech, scoring one try and setting one up for Peniasi Dakuwaqa. The No8 showed some unreal speed in his own try, outpacing opposing winger Setareki Bituniyata, and then showed some unreal power in his assist, smashing through Bituniyata on that occasion. Not a good few moments for Bituniyata.
Take a look at his assist:
Having a player that can cover positions in the forwards and backs makes Macalou a huge asset to France. Given his 1.98 metre from, he could probably pack down in the second row, and given his pace and power, he could probably line up in the centres, meaning he could possibly cover nine positions from the bench while bringing some brutal power in the process.
