He is the big revelation of the last season at Stade Toulousain. Like his teammate Mathis Castro-Ferreira, Paul Costes was able to ride on his title of U20 world champion with the French team to find a place in the club. During the numerous doubles, the young 21-year-old center did well, to the point of being present during the two finals won by the club in the Champions Cup and the Top 14. A first real season more than successful for the son of Arnaud Costes. However, he knows that the hardest part is coming now, with adversaries who know him and are waiting for him. In the columns of The DispatchPaul Costes returned to this change of status, including within Stade Toulousain: “There too it has changed compared to last year. I arrived as U20 world champion, with five games in the racket so I told myself that I was going to learn alongside guys who play in the same position as me. But the more the season progressed, the more I found myself in direct competition with them. So in my opinion, it would be a big mistake to idolize the guys you’re competing with when you want to play in their place.”
Costes continues his apprenticeship
However, Paul Costes admits to having great admiration for several of his teammates, starting with Pita Ahki: “But obviously, if for example I compare myself to a guy like Pita, who has proven so much, who has been there for a very long time… I watched his video clips so much when I was still young here, that yes, I I have a lot to learn from him. I focus in particular on regularity and the way the guys prepare psychologically or physically over the weeks, I didn’t have the opportunity to see that before. It’s clear that there are huge players but a season is so long and we saw it last year. The starters at the start of the season were not the same as those in the middle who were also different from those at the end. So you just have to be ready and prepared for any eventuality. » Paul Costes is still determined to seize every opportunity.
To summarize
Paul Costes returned to his integration at Stade Toulousain and the need to confirm after an exceptional first season. The young 21-year-old center is aware of being expected and wants to be inspired by his teammates.
