the essential
The second line has had a very difficult season. agrees to talk about it and to discuss his very positive feedback with Colomiers.
Almost eight months passed during your absence, before your return to competition in Nevers. Can you tell us what happened to you?
(he smiles) Yes, it’s been quite a while… There have been injuries one after the other, in fact. First, it was the back that was affected, we had to do infiltrations. Then there was the knee. It was serious enough that there was an operation. In total, I had five or six months (of rehabilitation, Editor’s note). There was a lot of hard work. But it’s great to be able to come back and win at home.
Wasn’t that too hard to go through?
Sometimes there were difficult times. But as a sportsman, as a professional rugby player, sometimes you have to know how to take the hits and fight your way through. But overall, the work on the medical part and rehabilitation was very productive. It was hard, but I pulled my head up, continued to train hard, thinking about the benefits I would reap later from all this effort.
What kept you motivated during these long months to come back?
We can attribute it to pride, somewhere. I saw the team play well and I am very competitive. When I see a player in my position deliver great performances, it makes me want to come back and play at least as well. And there was a collective side too, with the desire to come back and help the team as much as I can. (he laughs) My partner also supported me well, pushed me to work hard.
And these efforts paid off, since despite this long absence, you returned with character, in Nevers then in the derby against Montauban, during which you scored a try…
In reality, I had a frank discussion with Julien (Sarraute, the head coach, Editor’s note). When I told him I was ready, he said I still needed to work on some areas. So I took it as a challenge. There was undoubtedly a little nervousness on my first tackle, on my first ball touched. But then everything came back naturally. I was very happy. And very tired! From now on, even if the final phase will be hard to reach, I want to continue to perform, to win and finish strong this season which has not always been easy, neither for me nor for the group at times.
