Sylvain Marconnet tells his best memory

After having engaged in his retraining in the Basque Country, Sylvain Marconnet entrusted to Actually rugby the moment that marked him in his 17 years of career At the highest level of French and international rugby. “It is not necessarily a title, it is more a match,” says the pillar with multiple titles of champion of France with the Stade Français or at the five tournaments of the 6 nations won. The second most capped pillar of the XV of France with 84 selections retains a memorable memory of the 2006 summer tour of the Blues in South Africa Under the Bernard Laporte era and in a “particular context. »»

Sylvain Marconnet and the 2006 tour in South Africa

Back in June 2006, the French team played its summer tour in South Africa. At that time, the first line of the Blues was 100% Parisian: Sylvain Marconnet, Dimitri Szarzewski and Pieter de Villiers. For the right pillar of South African origin, this match against the Springboks had to have a particular flavor.

“He was happy to play Cape Town. He who is from Cape Town, it was supposed to be a big party, ”recalls Sylvain Marconnet. But unfortunately, everything did not go as planned. “Finally, this tour changed in the dramatic. Arriving in South Africa, Pieter de Villiers had lost his brother, ”says his former teammate of the Stade Français.

A victory for the XV of France for Pieter de Villier

This mourning “affected the whole group for the last match of the season” which was playing for CAP on June 24, 2006 against the Springboks. “The day before at the funeral, Pieter asked to play to bring a little balm to the heart to his family,” recalls Marconnet. Faced with Randt OS, John Smit and Eddie Andrews, the first Parisian line was aligned.

“The words of Laporte, the context and the victory made me realize that rugby is a special sport. There is the intrinsic quality, but that day it was the first game in 10, it was the big team of South Africa who was going to become world champion in 2007. Finally, we overthrowed this mountain.”

The Blues won 36 to 26 thanks to four tests: Cédric Heymans, Damien Traille and a double by Vincent Clerc.

“We were stronger that day. But above all we were inhabited by something mentally. This match we wanted to offer it to Pieter and his family, “recalls the pillar who ended his career at the Olympic Biarritz before concluding:” I like to talk about this moment because it is also indicative of what it takes to transcend and make big rugby matches. »»

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