the essential
The Japanese scrum-half spoke at length about his arrival in France and his first steps with the “rouge et noir” club. The opportunity for him to remember his first experience at home.
This summer, Naoto Saito signed with Stade Toulousain, the club he considers “the best in the world”. Despite the language barrier, the Japanese are gradually acclimating to French culture. The scrum half discovered the Top 14 and the atmosphere of its stadiums. In a video published by the Stade Toulousain Youtube account, he looked back on his first home match, not without admiration.
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“My teammates had warned me and told me: 'Naoto you will be surprised by the supporters on arrival', says the Nippon. When I arrived, I was listening to music but I stopped it when I got off the bus to listen to the fans. It was exactly as it was described to me. The passion of the fans is crazy.”
“I can’t describe it in words…”
From his first Top 14 match in Vannes, Naoto Saito was impressed by the support of the French fans. But for him, Ernest-Wallon's fervor is “different”. He says: “I've never felt like that. I can't describe it in words, but I remember being very excited.”
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Before attempting the French adventure, the international scrum-half played for a long time in the Japanese championship, where the supporters “calmly watched” the match. Now from Toulouse, Naoto Saito considers himself “lucky to be able to play in such a warm atmosphere”.
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