Top 14: supersonic winger Madosh Tambwe wants to finish with UBB before joining Montpellier for next season

Le Congolais peut faire la différence à tout moment. MAXPPP – Manuel Blondeau

Often barred by the French wingers Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the supersonic Madosh Tambwe, before leaving this summer for Montpellier, plays at the end of the season the luxury jokers for Bordeaux-Bègles, which faces Stade Français on Saturday at home in the semi-finals of the Top 14.

Last Sunday, the Congolese sprinter once again unblocked the situation during the play-off against Racing 92, a few hours after learning with relief that his future club would remain in the Top 14, narrowly winning the d– ;#39;accession against Grenoble.

Tambwe had already made his debut at Chaban in September 2022, scoring a resounding double against Toulouse, confirming all the art of Girondin president Laurent Marti in unearthing little-known talented wingers.

L'ÉCLAIR DE MADOSH TAMBWE ⚡️

L'ailier fait parler sa vitesse et inscrit le premier essai de la rencontre 🤯@UBBrugby 🔥
#UBBR92 pic.twitter.com/HeipKz1U7X

— CANAL+ Rugby (@CanalplusRugby) June 16, 2024

After the Australian Blair Connor or the Fijian Metuisela Talebula, the Congolese, with 26 tries scored in 48 matches played with three South African franchises, amazed the Top 14, brightening up a 2022 season -2023 marked by the ousting of manager Christophe Urios. He was even the hero of the winning play-off in Lyon in June 2023 by scoring a final double full of dazzling and rage.

Non-JIFF and "salary cap" 

This season, he continued his work despite this new equation to resolve with the arrival of Penaud: what to do with three wingers for two places ? "Damian (Penaud) , he's the serial marker of the XV of France and Louis (Bielle-Biarrey), he's the darling. With my non-JIFF status (player from French training, editor's note), it's a little complicated", explained Tambwe, trained in rugby, in February in South Africa, where he grew up in a neighborhood of Johannesburg, after being born in Kinshasa to a Congolese father and a South African mother.

"On paper, we are all equivalent. It's just that there are two international players and I'm not one yet. It's something that I don't control, he added to the France Bleu microphone. And which makes him, at 27 years old, want to explore elsewhere.

Also read: MHR: Bordeaux winger Madosh Tambwe is moving closer to Montpellier, also a third line

The Clermont of its former coach Urios positioned itself but it was the MHR which seduced it, before the UBB took over. #39;in turn questions in the heart of winter about the risk of releasing his rocket to the competition. Before resigning ourselves to letting him go. "It is completely understandable that a player of the talent, level and state of “Madosh's mind wants to be a starter in a club”, explained manager Yannick Bru.

"It's difficult when you are a winger to stay at a club without being assured of having guaranteed playing time. The two starting wingers are the two wingers of the XV of France. And behind, we have young people from the club like Pablo Uberti. We are constrained by the "salary cap", it's a very good rule and we have to make choices to balance things", continued the technician .

Chaban already nostalgic 

His announced departure, his repeated absences on the UBB match sheet favoring the benches with six forwards and two three-quarters with versatile players behind, have not however, brings Tambwe into line.

The Congolese took advantage of an injury to Penaud in mid-April to shine against Harlequins, despite being eliminated in the quarter-final of the Champions Cup and thus return to the rotation , where his understanding with the former Clermontois, a fan of rezoning, seemed obvious.

L'échange très respectueux entre Fickou et Tambwe 🥰

Un moment capté grâce au micro posé sur le centre du @racing92 🎙️#UBBRCT pic.twitter.com/XDuhbv9HhS

— CANAL+ Rugby (@CanalplusRugby) June 16, 2024

The recent sluggishness of Bielle-Biarrey gave it the opportunity to continue and tip over on Sunday, like last year at Gerland, the dam against Racing 92 with a fast try, with two broken tackles which he celebrated by kissing the club crest. The Chaban stadium, already nostalgic, may have chanted his first name, but his presence in the Gironde starting XV on Saturday in the semi-final against the Stade Français is not guaranteed.

Also read: MHR: Tambwe and Hogg will be in Montpellier next season, Haouas "at the first gap, he leaves", Altrad talks about the off-season

Next season, it is at the GGL Stadium that the supersonic winger will show all his qualities, in particular to take over from Ben Lam, who is leaving the club this summer. "He signed for two or three seasons", explained Mohed Altrad, president of the MHR, during a press conference on Tuesday evening. 

Given what Tambwe shows on the pitches of the Top 14, he could quickly become one of the darlings of the Montpellier public.