The move was expected, and it is now done. Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer will have a change of scenery this summer. The Union Bordeaux-Bègles back-rower will continue his career at Pau, where he has signed for next season, turning the page on an adventure begun in 2021 on the banks of the Garonne.

At 28, the flanker arrives at a pivotal moment in his career. His departure from UBB comes against a tight budgetary backdrop and is a consequence of the demands of the salary cap and of the club’s structural choices.

Despite that situation, Vergnes-Taillefer has never slipped out of the front rank on the pitch. This season again, he has established himself as an essential cog in the Bordeaux pack, with 19 appearances including 10 as a starter, proof of his consistency and of the trust placed in him by Yannick Bru’s staff.

A complete player, valuable in the collision areas as well as in open play, he also enjoyed an international interlude last summer, winning his first cap for France on the tour of New Zealand. Belated recognition, but deserved for a back-rower whose steady progress finally took him through the doors of the very top level.