Trained at Mérignac, the club in which his father Benoit played, as third line center, Florian Baquey had to force his nature to move up to the front line upon arriving at CABBG: “The coaches made me understand that this position was more suitable to my natural qualities. It was a little hard at first. I was used to carrying the ball and covering ground. The scrum, for example, didn’t really mean anything to me.”
The 1.88 m and 115 kg colossus quickly learned the tricks of the trade and has been playing for two years among the UBB hopefuls. Co-trainer Richard Darrambide paints a flattering portrait: “He is a good worker on all fundamentals. He always does extras to perform in his position. He's a good guy and a popular leader in the group. It's up to him to dare offensively to take a final step to become a pro. It's not far from it! »
“Places are expensive”
Florian Baquey excels in the small perimeter and the frontal confrontation specific to his position. “Above all, I love the mental dimension of the scrum. It’s a match within a collective match. Before each scrum, I go into my bubble. All that matters then is the desire to gain the upper hand over my counterpart, while remaining connected to my partners.” Rugby still remains a way for him to share strong moments with his friends. But the second year BTS student in construction is giving himself the means to become a professional rugby player, if possible at UBB.
“After rugby, I would like to become a works driver. It clicked when, after a hailstorm, I helped repair houses in the Médoc. I like when things make sense. In the immediate future, I want to progress with the hopes to try to join the first team later. UBB has been my club since I was little. But places are expensive! I hope to stay in the South-West, except in Toulouse of course,” he continues with a laugh.
Also calm and friendly in life, he transforms from the start into a rather formidable warrior. His partners do not compare him to Irish pillar Andrew Porter for nothing. “My friends say I become stupid on the pitch. I have learned to temper my enthusiasm, but it's true that I love the English or Irish pillars. With them, there’s always something going on.”
The match
Agen (10th/6 pts) – Bordeaux-Bègles (3rd/22 pts), this Saturday at 3 p.m.
France
Rugby
