XV of France: The new Jonny Wilkinson with Antoine Dupont?

Already promised a great future at club as well as with the French XV alongside Antoine Dupont at the age of 20, Hugo Reus expresses his admiration for Jonny Wilkinson. The La Rochelle and Bleuets flyhalf took the former English star as a model in his way of scoring, and he speaks frankly about it.

Logically considered to be one of the best opening halves in the history of Rugby, Jonny Wilkinson made the heyday of the English selection in 1998 and 2011, notably with a World champion title in 2003. A legend which inevitably inspires the youngest, and in particular the future phenomenon of the XV of France who plays in the same position as him : Hugo Reus (20 years old). The young opener La Rochelle currently boasts a remarkable success rate of over 85%, both at club level and with the Bleuets. And while he is already promised a bright future with Antoine Dupont au XV of France, Reus discusses his kicking technique based on that of Jonny Wilkinson.

“I tried to copy it to the letter”

« I admired him enormously for his quality of footwork and his hard work to achieve these results. When I was young, I tried to copy it to the letter and it didn't always work. So I kept what I did well and incorporated a few things here and there and that's it, it gives today's result. When I was young, I struggled exactly like him, I had the same position. Sometimes, people made fun of me a little. There are always a few basics that are common and from which I draw inspiration », confides Hugo Reus in an interview given to RMC Sport.

“He immediately fascinated me”

The future phenomenon of XV of France did not just copy Wilkinson since he also seems to have great admiration for him: “ This player immediately intrigued me, immediately fascinated me, with his class, his precision, his work », continues Reus. It remains to be seen whether this future Jonny Wilkinson will soon wear the tunic of XV of France alongsideAntoine Dupont…