Saito looks back on his first steps with the Rouge et Noir

Arrived this summer at Stade Toulousain, a club he considers “the best in the world”. Naoto Saito was quick to fall under the spell of the unique atmosphere that reigns at Ernest-Wallon. The Japanese scrum half quickly took stock of the enthusiasm surrounding Rugby in France. A new experience for him, which he describes as unforgettable. Newly arrived in France, Naoto Saito discovered a world very different from that of the Japanese championship. “My teammates warned me and told me: 'Naoto you will be surprised by the supporters at the finish,' says the Nippon. When I arrived, I was listening to music but I stopped it when I got off the bus to listen to the supporters. It was exactly as it had been described to me. The passion of the fans is crazy”, confides the Japanese in comments reported by La Dépêche du Midi.

“I’ve never felt like this.”

In a video published on the Stade Toulousain YouTube channel, Naoto Saito looked back on his first home match. The Japanese scrum-half was impressed by the support of the French fans. But for him, Ernest-Wallon's fervor is “different”. He confides: “I had never felt like this. I can't describe it in words, but I remember being very excited,” Saito expresses. Before attempting the French adventure, the international scrum-half played for a long time in the Japanese championship, where the supporters “calmly watched” the match. Now from Toulouse, Naoto Saito considers himself “lucky to be able to play in such a warm atmosphere”.

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