Big loser of the last World Cup, the winger with 16 selections could take advantage of the packages of Damian Penaud and Théo Attisogbe to go and get, a formula dear to Galthié, a new jersey stamped with the rooster. A combination of circumstances according to some, but this situation should not overshadow a return to the forefront with his club Toulon.
Since the beginning of his story with the oval ball, in his tender Normandy where the heart of the Villière family beats, little Gabin, as tall as three apples, has made it a point of honor to respect the mantra of his family: he does not There is only work that allows you to climb the steps one after the other. And even more so when the door closes, the native of Vire immediately understood that he had to go through the most inaccessible windows.
This path of life, more than a career, commands the respect of all. From his family, from his friends, from his educators to his coaches, to his partners. Teddy Baubigny, his friend in life, reminded us recently that the helmeted man is not made of the same wood as the others: “Gabin never gives up. He’s a tenacious person.” Tenacious in the face of pain, to which he resists more than ordinary mortals. Tenacious in the face of injuries, which spoiled several months of competition. Tenacious in the face of the choice of Fabien Galthié, finally, who preferred Louis Bielle-Biarrey to his detriment, in the middle of the last World Cup.
The scar of the World Cup
From this adventure of September 2023, there was added a certain individual resentment to the collective disappointment. After a difficult season marked by only four official matches with Toulon, Villière had retained, somewhat to everyone's surprise, the confidence of the staff of the French XV. With the number 11 behind his back, the person concerned even attacked the World Cup as a starter, against New Zealand. Out of the squad following this opening match, he reappeared only for the “hairdressers” match against Uruguay. Then, almost nothing except the official tuxedo in the stands. A proper downgrade.
Behind the scenes, with those closest to him who have always been of unfailing support, the ex-Rouennais was inevitably moved by this situation. He didn't really understand why Fabien Galthié had left him in full competition by the side of the road. To be honest, he would have more “easily” digested, given his almost blank exercise, not to be part of the World Cup adventure at all.
Mignoni, marked by modesty, admits today that the period was “difficult” for his protégé. Because, beyond this choice of coach, Villière remains convinced that the ground battle offered by South Africa was tailored to his qualities. He, designated as “king of the rucks”, believed himself capable of holding his own against the Springboks.
In the months that followed, the person concerned showed a certain spleen on the banks of the harbor. The end of the adventure in Blues, which he once thought was definitive in the face of the growing strength of the competition, adding to a certain questioning about his role in Toulon and within the new offensive system.
The last offseason with Toulon was saving
Not selected with the selection for the tour in Argentina, Gabin Villière put his mind right. He treated himself to a luxury that he had not had for a long time at the end of the dam lost to La Rochelle last June. A vacation first, on his own two legs and without crutches nearby, followed by preparation within his club. Since the 2020-2021 season, he has not experienced such a pressure relief valve.
As an obvious coincidence, like Charles Ollivon who has performed very well with Toulon since the start of this exercise, the winger has found the thread of his progress and his physical body with the tunic struck by lily of the valley (6 tenure, 471 minutes played). “It’s true that I feel fulfilledrejoiced Teddy Baubigny. Last year, he had difficulty integrating into Maso's system (nickname of Andrea Masi). It took a while to pass. We had a somewhat critical look at him… But this year, he took the season in a different way. He understood what the coach expected, moves a little more, crosses more regularly and scores… Gabin is not the winger who goes the fastest, but he still has his power, and his support!”
To restore confidence in his winger, Pierre Mignoni first decided to make him responsible in defense by placing him in the opener position during the first starts of play. This is how, in this sector that he loves so much, that “ Gab” has regained weight in the Var squad: “We like to use our aggression to slow down the balls in the first phase of playconfirmed Andrea Masi. He loves it. There are a lot of teams who defend like that, especially the All Blacks.” That’s good, precisely, since it’s the monsters of the Pacific who are showing up at the Stade de France. Not enough to shake the former member of the French 7s team according to the coach of the three-quarter Var team. “He did all the preparation with us and he is in great physical shape. Perhaps even better than last year. He has regained his speed. He does well, he plays duels, he is aggressive in defense , but not only that. What pleases me is that he has regained his aggression in attack. He carries the balls and plays his duels.
His try scored against Pau, during the 2e day of the Top 14, is the best example of this with an interval take, and a second change of pace during the race. This quality had gradually diminished over the course of physical problems. Good signals, which caught the eye of the France team and Fabien Galthié. The coach was able to attest to this when he came to the RCT Campus a month ago. “I was obviously happy for himcontinued Mignoni. He has to take what we give him, after having had a big pre-season with us. The players called up respected this process. You always have to use the club, perform, and show that you deserve to go there.” Villière thus arrives at the last stage, able to bring down a new joker to change his story again at the international level.
