The injury, the management of absence, Montpellier transformed on his return: Anthony Bouthier opens up

Injured during the 22^e Top 14 day played on April 27 last year, Anthony Bouthier will return to the field in an official match for the first time this season. Her backthe management of its convalescencefinding a transformed Montpellier team, his end of contract… He spoke before his first appearance in the Challenge Cup against the Lions (Saturday 11 at 6:30 p.m.).

Anthony Bouthier returns from injury with Montpellier

“My knee is behind me.” First observation: it requires a certain flexibility. More seriously, it was obviously with a smile that Anthony Bouthier presented himself to the press before putting on his crampons again for the 3^e Challenge Cup day.

“It’s almost a pleasure to see you,” he teased the journalists present before rejoicing even more: “I’m back 100%. I’m going to play again this weekend, so that’s in the past now. I’m counting the days, I have two left! »

A long absence to manage

On a personal level, a serious injury is always a hard blow, greeted with more or less phlegm or stoicism depending on one’s temperament. The former Vannes resident explains a certain pragmatism when it comes to tiles. It just goes to show that his past as a mason still serves him well!

“It was hard at first, that’s for sure. When you learn that you are injured, that you are going to have surgery, it is never pleasant. But I still took it pretty well. I saw the positive, I had no choice either. It did me good physically, morally, to cut, to think of something else. It also happened in the summer, which allowed me to spend it differently. Really, it was good for my body,” he admits.

A planned return…

Here again, everything depends on each person’s recovery abilities, or upcoming events likely to precipitate a return to competition. We remember, for example, Anthony Jelonch’s insane, yet successful, bet to participate in the 2023 World Cup.

The Montpellier resident did not subscribe to this perspective: “We left with the medical staff at the start saying that it would be eight months of convalescence, that I would stay for these eight months. Because precisely, I wasn’t in a hurry for anything. »

“I wanted to do things well. Afterwards, we still had to work hard and well, but within the objectives of this plan that we had set ourselves to reach eight months and be able to play. We got there, so now, fire,” says the rear.

…in a transformed Montpellier team

In eight months, a lot can happen. Toulouse achieved a double, the Top 14 lost Oyonnax but welcomed Vannes. And Montpellier, moribund in June, has found a place commensurate with the means and objectives of the club (7^e two lengths from the first qualifier).

Additionally, the 2022 French champion club have made a nice signing at full-back, with former Scotland international Stuart Hogg (although it looks like he will be used more at fly-half in the future) and the promising New Zealander Josh Moorby.

Nothing to worry about Anthony Bouthier though: “It’s the high level, there’s competition and that’s all the better. As soon as I saw all these beautiful people arriving, I knew that it would be up to me to work well and hard to be able to regain my place. Now I’m there, but we have to transcribe it on the ground. It’s up to me to do the job to hope to continue to keep this role of captain. »

In an MHR team finding itself. And that can only be positive: “I experienced the difficulties from afar. I was a bit in supporter mode too. Because at the beginning, I wasn’t necessarily present. »

“So we suffer a little too. But since the start of the season, I quickly felt that the group wanted to really switch to the positive. And even if the first matches were a little difficult, I felt that we were working well in training, that all we needed was a victory or two to revive the group. And today, this is what is happening,” whispers the international.

His future in the balance

We would almost like to say that with these eight months in the desert, Anthony Bouthier did the hardest part. Morally, it probably is. Sportingly, he now knows that he will have to fight with his partners for a starting place. It is about his personal future, he who will be at the end of his contract in June at the age of 32.

“I try not to ask myself too many questions. I know that I am at the end of my contract but first I want to play again, play well again, continue. Then afterwards, hope to have proposals here or elsewhere. But to have an offer to continue because my wish is to play rugby again and again. So, I try not to take my mind too much from my goal today to play again. And then, the rest will come,” hopes Anthony Bouthier.

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