Top 14 – Nathanaël Hulleu (Castres) before challenging Racing 92: “You have to prepare yourself to cross paths with Tuisova…”

Do you feel during training that the Top 14 is getting closer?

It’s felt, of course. Personally, I had a slightly shorter pre-season than the others but I immediately felt when I arrived that the group was ready to start the championship. The arrivals of Xavier Sadourny and Pierre Lassus were good. In terms of rugby, the guys really stuck to the new game plan, knowing that there were a few small changes. We were able to test ourselves against Montauban and Stade Français with a win and a loss.

What did you work on in depth after your defeat against the Parisians?

We first tried to drop the ball less because our inaccuracies cost us dearly during this match. Then, we worked on how to finish shots better. We had several chances and we were seriously lacking in efficiency. These are things that we will have to erase against Racing 92 but I think we are very good. Despite the defeat, the staff saw a lot of good things against Stade Français.

Does playing on your home turf on the first day add a bit of pressure?

It’s a bit trickier, yes. This is just my personal opinion, but few teams are perfectly set up from the first match. So if you miss and you lose straight away at home, it’s immediately annoying. In this case, we don’t have the right to make a mistake from the start against the Racingmen, so we’d better be ready.

What image do you have of this Racing 92 team?

Like every year, it’s a four-star squad with huge individualities. We’re also preparing to face Josua Tuisova, who is physically extraordinary (laughs). The goal is to make our team speak against exceptional players to win.

When you’re a winger, do you prepare to cross paths with Tuisova?

It’s mandatory! (laughs) When you play against him, you know that the first guy who comes up against him is going to have to slow him down, and a second guy is going to have to tackle him. He’s a monster. He consumes two defenders or even three so he creates gaps for his teammates.

You scored 9 tries last season. Do you expect to be under a bit more scrutiny this season?

I don’t pretend to say that our opponents will mainly focus on me, but I think they will be a little more wary, that’s for sure. It’s up to me to do what it takes to continue to be decisive and make a difference for the team.

In our coaches’ poll, CO was twice mentioned among the six qualified for the final phase but also once as 13th at the end of the season. Is it a habit when playing in Castres to always navigate between two waters in the eyes of observers?

Exactly. We will never be among the big favorites for the title but we are always annoying to take on. Without realizing it, we are capable of playing very big matches and potentially overthrowing big Top 14 teams. The CO may not be the stuff of dreams but the group likes to play on that to surprise and do great things.

You were selected by the French XV staff to take part in the tour of South America. What did you learn from it on a sporting level?

I could see that everything was going faster. It was well structured in terms of training, and that definitely made me want to go back.

How did you experience the Jegou-Auradou affair?

It really wasn’t easy. When you have the news that comes in little by little… Fortunately, there was a good group, who knew how to handle this situation. Some, including me, were able to “cut” by going to Montevideo to face Uruguay. And when we returned, those who had stayed in Argentina had already “mourned” this affair. We had to move forward and that’s what we did.