Rugby (Pro D2): how Jonny May landed at SA XV

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Ten months later, on Wednesday 14 August, the former Gloucester and Leicester star was on the pitch at Chanzy. Time to add two tries in 11 minutes to his tally during an internal opposition for his first outing in front of the Charente public.

“I’m not going to call this guy who hurt us so much”

He was more discreet, not called upon much, a week later against Montauban. But seeing his frustration, the Englishman intends to honour his status as an international star and the most prestigious player in the history of Angoulême rugby.

There was his compatriot Maurice Colclough in the colours of the SCA at the crossroads of the 1970s and 1980s, 25 selections at a time when they were twice as rare. Then Shalva Sutiashvili, three World Cups too, captain of Georgia and third-row duty. And finally Ben Botica, elected best player of the Top 14 in 2018.

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But with Jonny May, the SA XV changes dimension. Media-wise, at least. While we wait for the rest, while a good part of the rugby planet is still wondering how such a phenomenon could have landed at the 12^e of the last Pro D2 championship.

The day after his arrival, at the beginning of July, he admitted to having checked off other much more prestigious and “touristy” destinations while considering coming to end his career in France: “Perpignan, La Rochelle, Biarritz, Toulon”, he listed, indicating that he had cut short the first proposal from Angoulême. “And then I had a call from Didier and Séverine…”

Didier Pitcho, president of SA XV. Séverine, his partner. An English teacher in the Paris region, she was the one who took things in hand. She says: “I arrived in Angoulême on Friday and Didier (Editor’s note: Who speaks more academic English) asked me to call him to find out why he didn’t want to come. I first told him no, I’m not going to call this guy who is doing us a lot of harm (with England) and who seems like a bitch!”

“Within the hour he told us I signed.”

“Finally I call him and he answers, politely tells me that he is very honoured, touched, but…” But Jonny May seems far from being seduced. “The salary, the location, it was a bit of both. He had never heard of Angoulême, thought it was far from everything,” she continues. “Then I explain to him that it is two hours from Paris, very close to Bordeaux where there are direct flights to London and Bristol.”

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“I get annoyed gently, tell him that I, who live in a capital, wouldn’t come every weekend and for the holidays get bored in a godforsaken place. It makes him laugh, it lightens the mood.” The bond is created. “After an hour of conversation, he tells me that I make him doubt, asks to talk to his wife about it and have time to think about it until Monday. But we knew that he had about ten other appointments between now and then, so we tell him no, tomorrow Saturday at 5 p.m.”

“He called me to tell me that all the Barbarians wanted to come to SA XV!”

Will Jonny May follow through? “At five minutes to go, we get a text ‘ready when you want’. At first we thought it was over, we talked, I asked to speak to Sophie, his wife. We had a good laugh, she went to see my Facebook profile. And within the hour, he told us I’d sign. We got everyone at the club working straight away.” And the news was made official three days later, on Tuesday, June 11.

« Super Nanny »

Since then, “Madam President” has become “Nanny”. The May family’s nanny. “It’s crazy love!” she laughs. “We created a “what’s ap” group that we called “Mayday” and we continued to call each other almost every day to reassure them. The evening of his match with the Barbarians at Twickenham (June 22), he even called me to tell me that all the Barbarians wanted to come to the SA XV! And when they arrived in July, I devoted my first two weeks of vacation to them for the nursery, the house, everything else…”

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A month and a half later, the couple and their “baby” have found their feet. They have discovered La Rochelle and the Île de Ré, spend time with the Boticas or the Copelands, since the former Irish third-row has settled in Charente since his retirement from sport fifteen months ago.

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And Jonny, this Englishman so long hated, has “almost” become French. “He is learning words, making efforts, like having breakfast with the young French players,” emphasizes Séverine who has not finished playing interpreter and hostess: “Their two mothers have already come and Jonny’s parents will be there for the first match in Chanzy against Brive.”