Two days before an “improbable” meeting as he describes it himself, the former French international pillar Rabah Slimani (57 caps) opened the doors to his new life in Dublin. At 35, the man who spent seven years at ASM, after being crowned French champion in 2015 with Stade français, has worn the colors of Leinster since this summer. At home, comfortably installed on the sofa of his little “so Irish” house located about twenty minutes from the Aviva Stadium, he talks about his first steps in Ireland and his happiness at discovering another way of understanding rugby.
“He’s the Mbappé of rugby at the moment. » With a burst of laughter, Marcus O'Buachalla, Leinster's communications director, couldn't help but highlight how he had faced an increased demand for media requests for new Leinsterman Rabah Slimani. “All the French media, but also the Irish ones, have picked it up. » A task which the person concerned would have done well. Even at the height of his career, when he tortured the Top 14 scrums and was active internationally with the French XV, Rabah Slimani was not the man to monopolize the media and grant interviews every four mornings. On the contrary. The less we talked about him, the better he was. Discretion has always been an art of living for him. It is probably not for nothing that he and his family chose to move out of the center of Dublin. With Ornella, his partner whom he will marry next August, and Romy, their four-year-old granddaughter, they have taken up residence in Foxrock, a residential suburb, organized into subdivisions. A village without anything ostentatious but with a Franco-Irish school. The small adjoining house, too, is nothing sumptuous. The welcome is smiling and enthusiastic.
Yet, “Nothing was easy at the beginning,” says Ornella. We arrived in Dublin on July 20 with a few belongings, leaving everything behind. We recovered the keys to the first house hidden under the trash because real estate agents don't work on Saturdays. The car keys too. And straight away, we went to Ikéa and above all bought a car seat for Romy. » A first house chosen on photo but quickly abandoned for various reasons. After the first pitfalls of being uprooted, the little family quickly acclimatized. She takes advantage of free time to travel the steep roads of Ireland. Galway at the gates of Connemara, Cork the city of Munster, the Hoth seafood festival and even Emrald Park to please Romy have already been visited. Other “road trips” are planned. “We were even invited by the French ambassador to Ireland Céline Place to a reception”smiles Rabah who seems to be living his best life.
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Slimani already knew Dublin a little, having played a few matches there with the XV of France. He also knew Leinster having encountered it a few times. He had already crossed paths with Leo Cullen, his manager today. It was in 2013 during a Challenge Cup final with Stade Français, played at UCD, the province's usual stadium. “I prefer not to remember too much about this meeting,” slips the former Irish second row. Not that Rabah didn't make an impression on me, but because for Leinster, it's not necessarily the most prestigious trophy. We were sent back to this competition that year precisely because we had lost in the group stage at home against Clermont. »
“What’s your plan?”
Here, the life of the native of Sarcelles is different, as is the daily “rugby” life. An example? “As of Monday, Léo (Cullen) warned me that I would be a substitute against Clermont,” says the French pillar. Here, everything is simpler, more structured. Nothing is left to chance. Each player has their plan. » And Slimani continued: “At the start of the season, a young player asked me: “What is your plan”? I looked at him strangely. I didn't know what he was talking to me about. I inquired and understood. In fact, each player knows roughly what deadlines he is expected to meet. Leo (Cullen) and Jacques (Nienaber) plan their team compositions over a period of several weeks. Barring injury, barring exponential progression of one player or poor form of another, everyone knows what matches they are going to play over a period of several weeks. » This way, each player takes the time to develop, to prepare. “Everything is clear,” explains Rabah. There is no emotional lift like in France where until Thursday or Friday you don't know what your weekend will be like. »
Obviously, the pressure is immense. Every year, Leinster aims to win the Champions Cup. “Everything is done to ensure that the team is ready for these meetings”insists Rabah, who took advantage of a trip to Treviso in the URC to question his manager about the quality of his start to the season. “Actually, I was 24e man for the match. I asked myself questions to find out what the staff thought of me. So I asked Leo (Cullen) if he had some time to give me. He suggested that we go to town for a coffee. He was very clear. He showed me a photo on his phone where I'm talking to a young second row about his positioning in a closed scrum and he said to me: “That's what I expect from you. So it’s all good.” And regarding my performance, he told me that he was very satisfied. I was reassured. » “Since then, I have found him more serene, more confident”adds Ornella.
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In Dublin, Rabah Slimani is a curiosity. The first Frenchman in the history of Leinster. “He may be the most unlikely recruit”. This comment read on a social network could have irritated or upset him. Rabah Slimani prefers to have fun with it. ” I adore, he smiled. It's like that on social networks: rather than rejoicing, people choose nastiness. » On the transfer market, the Irish provinces are not in the habit of hitting the headlines. On the contrary. Recruitment is more targeted than quantitative. Only three recruits have joined the Irish province this year: RG Snyman, South African second row, double reigning world champion; the All Black Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani. This shows the confidence placed in the former Stade Français player. “We were looking for an experienced player to supervise our young pillars,” explains manager Léo Cullen. Rabah has 57 caps with the French XV and his reputation in scrum is well established. »
Friday morning, Dublin UCD. Captain's training is at 10 a.m. On the eve of returning to his former club where he spent seven years, Slimani, all smiles, is one of the first to cover the 200 meters between the performance center where Caelan Doris did his “brief” and the rather vintage pitch which contrasts with the modernity of the other installations. Several French media made the trip. Slimani is being roomed by his partners. The physical trainer yells: “give the ball to Rabah”. Good-natured atmosphere in which the French international seems to have found his place. “ He was able to quickly gain acceptance”swears Cullen. Obviously, he was also measured. “In training on Thursday, I worked the scrum against Porter,” says Rabah. It wasn't fun. And on my second or third workout, I went to get my scalp sewn up after a good knee strike. Involuntary, but I felt it pass. » Today, Slimani is knighted. When he passes one of the young pillars Michaël Milne (25 years old) in his car, the latter stops, opens his window and starts a discussion. When Slimani looked for two places to attend the match between the Blacks and Ireland, scrum-half Gibson-Park found him. “It’s true that I feel good. I'm living a waking dream. If someone had told me that one day I would wear the colors of Leinster, I wouldn't have believed it. For me, that's just a bonus. »
At 35, Rabah Slimani is intoxicated with his new life. He even hopes to make it last, crossing his fingers that his optional second year of contract will be validated by the leaders of Leinster. A probability that is gradually gaining weight. And it is not his XXL performance when he came into play against Clermont where he tortured the Auvergne scrum, which should reverse the trend. “Playing abroad was a dream. Not a project. With Ornella, we had already discussed the idea of going to the United States or Japan. More to discover a new culture than for a sporting challenge. However, the choice of Leinster is quite the opposite. Here, I know that the objective is to win the Champions Cup. » An opportunity he couldn't possibly pass up.
