Propelled for the first time as captain of Stade Rochelais this Saturday evening against Stade Français, in a match won with the offensive bonus by the maritime club (35-18), the springbok three-quarter did not directly burst the screen but deserves a special mention.
The element of surprise makes it even cooler. No doubt Dillyn Leyds (pronounced “Leydz” and not “Lidz”, for pity's sake…) himself did not expect on Thursday to be entrusted with his very first captain's armband, as surprised as the followers who – even in the The absence of Alldritt, Bourgarit, Atonio, Cancoriet – would have rather focused on Kerr-Barlow, Skelton and Dulin in the appropriate costume. But god it’s beautiful, damn it! Because fully deserved, even though meritocracy is not necessarily at the top of the criteria for selecting a leader, whether vocal or for example.
As endearing as he is attached to his club
But good old Dillyn, 32, checks just about all the boxes anyway. Leyds is above all a joy of living and an infectious good humor. It is also a model of integration. The Springbok (10 caps) is a respected, (very) appreciated and listened to player. In the locker room and in the stands. The neo-centurion (108 matches) boarded the caravel in the summer of 2020 never cheats and the nightmare of the missed tackle on Romain Ntamack, in the 2023 final of the Top 14, by which he said he was haunted last year , no doubt still sometimes invites himself into his nights as he has the colors yellow and black pegged to his body. What am I saying… to the heart!
A visceral attachment to his club and, beyond that, to France, where he fluently masters the workings of the language four years after his exile from South Africa. And then Dillyn Leyds is pure class on the pitch. An artist of the oval ball and his every skill, with a high rugby IQ. And no matter if he remained discreet against Paris, Captain Leyds also has this ability to make others shine. Sacred quality.
France
