Established in the third row to face the Bulls, Stade Français third row Pierre Huguet has played very little since the start of the season. Here he explains the main reason…
“Abring as much as possible to the team.” These were the first words of Pierre Huguet when he arrived in the capital last July. The former third wing wing of Bayonne, who passed through Carcassonne or Dax, had overflowing ambitions by signing at the Stade français. Halfway through, “I’m having a season that is more than half-hearted”he whispers himself. To date, the player has only four starts in the Top 14 and only one in the Champions Cup. However, at the start of the season, he is on the staff’s radar. Starting three of the first four days, he played 80 minutes each time. We then think it was launched on the same standards as the previous year contested with Aviron Bayonnais, right here where it caught the eye of the Parisian staff. Missed.
After the 4th day of Top 14 against Pau, he disappeared from the radar. “He is the victim of a virus”then confides the director of rugby Laurent Labit. Nothing alarming in what the technician said. However, Pierre Huguet is experiencing a funny situation. “I was sick as a dog for a month. I lost 6 kilos, going from 107 to 101 kilos in that time.” The virus is a UFO, undetermined. “I don’t really know what I got, he says again today. I caught something between flu and Covid.” Result: two months of absence. Just that. “And then I resumed training for two weeks as best I could and I hurt my calf again during my second match (against Munster in the Champions Cup on December 7). is linked to the virus I caught. No doubt my body was weakened.” “We counted on him a lot, breathes Laurent Labit. This is the first time in his career that he has had a series of problems. However, he is impeccable. He’s one of those players who gets going all the time.”
Today I’m in a false rhythm
Saturday, Pierre Huguet will return to competition. We imagine him determined to make up for lost time. On the other end of the phone, from Cape Town where Stade Français is staying, his voice contrasts with this feeling. “Today, I’m in a false rhythm. I’m still not back to 100%. It’s a little better but compared to what I was doing before, I haven’t found my physical level.” And to add in complete transparency: “Selfishly, it’s frustrating not to be able to play, nor to be able to bring what they came to me for. I hope that the wheel will turn quickly enough because I’m frankly fed up. Patience is not my thing, to put it mildly.” “Mentally, it’s hard for him, continues Laurent Labit. However, he is a very committed player. He’s one of those guys who gives 120% all the time.” And to conclude: “We now hope that this virus will remain a bad memory and that he will be able to return to his best level because we need him.”
