Having become an indisputable starter this season, the young 21-year-old center even had his first two selections for the Blues and is already establishing himself as one of the bosses of the Gironde collective.
He is the one who speaks in the middle of the circle, sets the tempo to bring the heart rate down. At the age of 21, Nicolas Depoortere calms his partners and gives instructions during the semi-final against Stade français. He’s the kid who is establishing himself as boss, he who is preparing to play his 34th Top 14 match for his second season with the professionals. Nothing surprising for coach Christophe Laussucq: “He had an extremely rapid rise. He made a few appearances last season, but every time he came back he was good. This year, he exploded at all levels. He immediately established himself , then he won his place in the French team. He is progressing very quickly at the rugby level and he is also a big character and a great competitor. He is the type of player who quickly makes his place in a squad.
Son mental
Nothing seems to be able to shake the relaxation of the young three-quarter center of UBB who has just had a completely crazy season, as he confided before the semi-final against Stade français: “I try to keep my feet on the ground. The most important thing is the pleasure I have every day. I’m relaxed because things are going pretty well. I don’t think anyone gets upset.” This can be explained by an unfailing mentality for his defense coach Christophe Laussucq: “He imposes himself, he doesn’t ask any questions. With Louis-Bielle Biarrey, he shows great maturity. Before, you had to wait 30 years to become a leader. They have no complexes and he doesn’t ask himself any questions. He plays like he did when he was a hopeful, where he already arrived very quickly from the Crabos. And he behaves the same way today. It’s a pleasure to do so. having a player like that in a squad. He doesn’t pretend to be a competitor, he shows it on the pitch. It’s not just words but actions.
It’s even logical for his former partner Jean-Baptiste Dubié who passed the baton to him last season but also at the time of launching this one, he who was a World Cup joker: “When we were young, the older generations didn’t really allow us to open our mouths. Things have evolved. Above all, the players of the new generation show maturity and they have much more confidence than what we could have had. It’s a Generation Z thing. It’s very different from what we’ve experienced. Plus, Nicolas is part of a generation that won. French team sector, with high objectives because previous generations had also won. He was therefore carried by this dynamic of success. He gained confidence in himself and in his potential.
In progression
He went from five starts in the Top 14 last season to twenty-three this year, in all competitions for a total of 26 matches with UBB, before this Friday’s final. Above all, he had two first starts with the French team during the last 6 Nations Tournament.
“Everyone knew that it was the next one who would be called up to the Blue,” says Jean-Baptiste Dubié. “We saw what he was capable of doing in training, where he showed character. He had been captain of the young and we still saw room for improvement.” The former UBB centre three-quarter knew that everything would happen quickly for Nicolas Depoortere: “It was obvious that he would be an indisputable starter this season with UBB. Even when I was there, he was better than me in my last season (laughs). There was no need to fight. Afterwards I I had more experience and I certainly weighed more in the group but I could see that there was no photo But that’s part of the progression, I wasn’t going to give him the place either. He knew and we challenged each other. He only wanted to take over. It was good natured. It was really great my last seasons because all the young people who arrived were very eager. skills at the end of each training session. These are clear signs. We were challenging ourselves while having fun but in fact we were training all the time, whether on the field or in bodybuilding.”
Dubié continues: “If you don’t know him, you can say to yourself: But what is this young man doing? ? But, I never had that feeling. With Louis, they are just more mature and more mentally strong. They are very good little ones with a good education, who want to learn, who also have enough personality to be able to put coins to the elders (laughs) while respecting them.”
His attack
Ten tries this season, in all competitions, and it is already certain that several will be present in the “highlights” of this 2023-2024 season, in particular because Nicolas Depoortere crossed the field at the very end of the match against Toulon or Racing 92.“Obviously, he’s tall, he runs fast,” Dubié concedes. “He’s capable of scoring crazy tries in the 80th minute where he beats everyone. He’s a horse.” But, it is important not to reduce the three-quarter center of the UBB to his simple physical qualities.
“He always has very good runs with this ability to play in front of the defense too. When you play center, you go fast and you are able to pass the ball, on paper you say to yourself: “shit the guy has everything and he’s 20 years old”. It’s unfair (laughs).”
While the UBB center had gotten into the habit of scoring every three games since the start of the season, this has not happened to him since April 13, during the quarter-final of the Champions Cup, not scoring in the last five games played with UBB. You have to go back to March 2 to find his last try in the Top14. Nicolas Depoortere arrives in Marseille like a lion in a cage. Behind the phenomena Damian Penaud and Madosh Tambwe, he is the player who has the best statistics of the Girondins team.
A thirst for learning
It is especially logical to see Nicolas Depoortere establishing himself as a leader in the attack line because he forms a very young center pair with Yoram Moefana, who will only celebrate his 24th birthday on July 18.
MIDI OLYMPIQUE – PATRICK DEREWIANY
It’s also his position that requires that, explains Jean-Baptiste Dubié: “Especially as number 13, you have big responsibilities. You must have a little leadership side that is important for the defense, for the attack. He quickly understood that and it’s incredible the speed at which he adapted , despite his qualities, monstrous for his age If he allows himself to be able to reposition players who have much more experience, it is because he knows that he is accepted in the group. He feels legitimate to do so. to do it. It’s not a coincidence. He’s an intelligent boy so he also feels that he is listened to. From the moment you have the respect of others, that’s where you can progress.
His defense
Nicolas Depoortere tackles a lot, but above all he tackles hard. Only three players in the Top 14 playing behind have done better than him in terms of quantity. They are Théo Millet, Émilien Gailleton and… his partner Maxime Lucu. “He likes to defendsummarizes his trainer Christophe Laussucq. It’s innate, he’s a defender. He’s tough, he likes to tackle hard. He is capable of tackling, getting up, and tackling again. We didn’t need to make him work, it’s something he has in him. He has this rage in him to defend. This is the quality of great players. He is good offensively because he has technical and physical qualities but he is very complete because he has this ability to surpass himself in shadow work, runs without the ball, defensive climbs. He still makes all these efforts with the same rage. He’s a real competitor.” This is a sector where it is easy to judge the boy’s determination and find the reasons for his meteoric rise.
He earned respect on the field, but also off it: “When Nico arrived, he was eager to learn, remembers Dubié, We talked a lot and it was super interesting. He was very calm, attentive, very mature for his age. Beyond his potential, I could see that he really wanted to learn. He wanted to be inspired by the best. He watched a lot of videos of Yannick Jauzion when he was young but also of several famous centers in the Top 14.” Exchanges which allow him today to speak… like an elder.
