Top 14 – Castres-Montpellier: Will Collier, the pearl of Castres

This is what we call a really good pick. Castres Olympique had a hollow nose in recruiting Will Collier. Arriving this summer from Harlequins, the Englishman has already made everyone agree in the Tarn, whether on the field or off, in particular through his remarkable learning of the French language, which he takes from elsewhere to use during interviews. “I still have a lot of work,” smiles modestly the right pillar, who had already started to study the language of Molière before arriving on the banks of the Agout.

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Something (very) rare in current rugby to be highlighted. “I took a few lessons when I lived in London. The Harlequins training center was an hour's drive from my home. So every day, I listened to things in French. A Harlequins player, Nick David, spoke French very well and gave me a lot here, Antoine Tichit helped me a lot with other players. There are also several guys like Mathieu Babillot, with whom we can also speak English very well. affirms the man who, at 33, crossed the Channel and left Quins, for the first time in his career.

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“For me, it wasn't too difficult to leave England because it was my dream to play in the Top 14. I always had it in mind, admits the man with two selections with the XV of the Rose. When the opportunity presented itself, I was ready for it. I was a little scared when I arrived in Castres. But the integration went very well thanks to all the guys here. all very nice. I was lucky to find a beautiful house three minutes from Levézou and a good school for the children. I can spend a lot of time with my family. It's very good, my wife is very happy. “

“In Pierre-Fabre, it’s incredible”

On the field, Will Collier brought real added value to the CO and especially to his scrum, which has displayed a much more conquering face since his arrival. If it takes a few months of adaptation for some before performing in the Top 14, the London native immediately shone and gained the confidence of the Tarn staff. “He's a very good pillar in the scrum. He brings us a lot with his experience, underlines Karena Wihongi, the Castres scrum coach. It's only positive. He shares with the other players, there is a good exchange between them and with me too. He is one of the leaders of the pack.”

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The proof, Will Collier, already author of two tries, will celebrate this Saturday afternoon against Montpellier his seventh start since the start of the season, the fifth in as many home matches. “When I play at Pierre-Fabre, it's incredible. It was also at the Stoop, next to Twickenham, for Harlequins but at Castres, it's different. When you arrive by bus, you can already hear the noise and seeing the flags, it’s very special here,” says the right-hander. Even more so when victory is at the end.