the essential
The colossus of the Toulouse second line enjoyed Sunday December 8 in pouring rain against Ulster. Author of two essays in particular, Emmanuel Meafou details the evolution in his game which he owes in particular to his experience…
A wink story? Not only that. Sunday, for its entry into the Champions Cup, Stade Toulousain was able to count on an Emmanuel Meafou of the great days. Author of two tries and a very big presence in the standing game (10 balls played in the hand, 34 meters gained) the Franco-Australian colossus had fun, in Dantesque weather conditions. Where most players fear releasing balls made uncontrollable by the humidity, “Mani” Meafou was as comfortable in the pouring rain as Léon Marchand could be in the Olympic pool in Paris.
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His two tries bear his signature: he receives the ball 5 meters from the line from Antoine Dupont and takes care of the rest. That is to say, push two Irish defenders and relax to put the ball behind the line. “[Dupont] gives me gifts. Every time we're close to the line, I wink at him…”, explained the colossus after the meeting. A flutter of his eyelashes as if to signal to the master of the game: “Give me the leather, I’ll take care of the rest.”
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“Usually, we do the work up front and it's the three quarters who put on the show. But if we forwards, we can score in the mauls or close to the line, we won't deprive ourselves”, laughed -he. By scoring his 2nd and 3rd tries of the season with Toulouse, Meafou is however less present at the finish than in past years. But this is not to displease him, nor to displease his manager Ugo Mola, who highlights the maturity acquired by the second line.
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Stade Toulousain – Ulster: “Sometimes it works, other times less…” Antoine Dupont was on target against the Irish in the Champions Cup
“Emmanuel's international experience perhaps gives him even more this ability to be more relevant and perhaps a little less in total rugby, but to be more precise on what he does,” explains the strong man of the Stadistes. Less in total rugby, more concentrated in specific areas. Meafou also admits, he has refined his game and it is thanks to his life and experience that he took this path.
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He debriefs: “When you're young, you want to do everything. Scratch, touch the ball, tackle… But now I'm more mature. I read the game better, thanks to the experience I gained with the Stadium…” But also with the Blues, aware that his time at Marcoussis this fall brought him a lot. “I had a good tournament with the Blues, I found rhythm in my game, I feel very good physically and playing a series of matches makes me feel good…”
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Stade Toulousain – Ulster: in off-road mode, the “red and black” gave a rugby lesson in the rain
Meafou is already looking forward to the upcoming trip to Exeter on Sunday in the southwest of England. But let the English rest assured, dry weather and even some clearing are forecast for Sunday in the county of Devon.
