the essential
Sunday against Ulster, Blair Kinghorn will celebrate his first anniversary with the Toulouse jersey. The Scotsman, who won everything in his first year and is undefeated in the Champions Cup with Toulouse, recalls last year’s final, but also talks about the fierce competition at full-back and his life when he was not It’s not on a rugby field.
What form are you in after this autumn tour with the Scotland national team?
I feel very good. It was cool to come back to Scotland, to see my friends again. Playing international matches in front of our audience is always special, it’s the best feeling possible. It was really great, four matches at home and two prestigious victories (against Fiji and Australia). It was really good, I really enjoyed it.
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You are coming back to Toulouse to compete in the Champions Cup, which promises more strong moments…
Yes totally. It’s cool to see the guys here again, it’s exciting to be back in the Champions Cup but above all it’s nice to come back home.
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It’s been a year to the day since you joined Stade Toulousain (they played their first Champions Cup match against Cardiff on December 9), what is the feeling that prevails when you take a look in the rearview mirror?
It was a crazy year. It’s unthinkable, I’ve been here for a year already, time passes so quickly. I remember when I arrived, I was very nervous. I played directly against Cardiff, it was a crazy experience. And this last season, what can I say… I’m not going to complain (laughter).
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In your wildest dreams, could you have imagined it would happen like this?
No, never! It was so special, to achieve what we did was unimaginable.
Six months later, when you think back to the final against Leinster (31-22 victory after extra time), what is the first thing that comes to mind?
I remember afterwards that I was very tired (smile). We played more than 100 minutes, that doesn’t happen often. It was the first time I experienced this. I also remember the atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the stadium was crazy and honestly, it was perhaps the best rugby match I have played: the atmosphere, the game, the scenario of the match, the intensity, it was crazy.
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In Toulouse, you are in competition with Thomas Ramos, Ange Capuozzo, Juan Cruz Mallia… Four of the best full-backs in the world in the same club, how do you manage this situation?
That’s a good thing. You know, all four of us are never in the same state of form, or it’s very rare. But look this year, Ange started the season amazingly, Juanchi is definitely one of the best players in the world, whatever his position, Thomas showed everyone in the French team that he is a great fly-half … Competition is a good thing. Being around such players forces you to give the best of yourself. We pull ourselves up. If you know that all the guys playing your position are very good, it makes you want to get better every day and work hard. It makes the challenge super exciting. This can only make the team better.
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Do you prefer to play on the wing or at the back?
In the back, without hesitation. Even though I’m happy on the wing, I think I’m better at the back.
You’ve been living in Toulouse for a year, have you got your bearings regarding your private life?
My fiancée and I really like it here. Moving was a very good thing for us and I also speak outside of rugby. Being in a new environment is cool to start living together. It’s a great city, I love all the restaurants, there are some great bars too. My fiancée is a nutritionist, she started her own business and she works by video, remotely. It was practical, she didn’t have to find a job when she arrived here, it made things easier.
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What do you do when you’re not in Ernest-Wallon with a rugby ball in your hands?
Honestly, my fiancée and I love going out to discover new restaurants (smile). Every time we have free time we go to discover the city and try new places. We love eating good food, tasting good wine… But after intense workouts, what I do is I go home, I stay calm, I don’t do too much to recover. I come home, I rest, I watch TV, I play Xbox…
As a nutritionist, your partner must be very attentive to what you eat…
Oh yes. She gives good advice, she has completely changed my eating habits (laughs)… Fast foods are banned (smiles)no one should be allowed to eat this. No, she is very good at her job, and she helps me a lot with recovery after matches.
