He rushes with the Roses, flirts with the Blues.
At the speed at which he runs, pierces the defenses, upsets the established order, there is no doubt that Julien Delbouis will quickly release his first selection with the XV of France.
At 21, the three-quarter center of Stade Français was called up by coach Fabien Galthié in his list of 37 players who will prepare for the Six Nations Tournament from January 25.
He had already been called up last fall but was injured before the match against Italy on November 28 at the Stade de France.
“It was a first contact, but the process is launched, underlines Thomas Lombard, the general manager of the Parisian club.
Julien learns quickly, observes everything, works hard.
He is very professional like many of this generation.
He knows where he is going and what to do to get there.
He ticks all the boxes.
"
He's always been like that.
A super powerful car on the ground.
An introverted but resolute child.
“Except once,” says Sébastien Vidalenc, a friend of his parents and a former US Metro player in Antony (Hauts-de-Seine), where little Julien began to cut his teeth.
He was eleven or twelve years old, most of his friends had left the club, he found himself all alone and his mother picked him up in tears.
He wanted to stop rugby.
I sent it to a friend who was training young people in Massy.
»The kid forgets his blues, discovers the famous rugby school a stone's throw from Verrières-le-Buisson (Essonne), where he lives with his parents Valérie and Vincent and lets his advantageous physique speak for itself.
"He already had in mind to become pro," slips Sébastien Vidalenc.
100 kilos at the age of 15
In Massy, the coaches are won over.
“We saw immediately that it was an extraterrestrial,” says Olivier Gazon, who took him under his wing.
He knew how to do everything, was strong.
At 15, he must already weigh 100 kg (
Editor's note: 105 kg for 1.84 m today
)!
He had a fabulous kick.
At 14, during a match against Bègles, I saw him pass a penalty of 60 meters… And then, he had a mental, zero defect.
He still wanted to play, even injured.
It was easy for us to make a boy like that progress.
"
The ascent continues in the Paris region.
At 17, he plays in Pro D 2 with Massy but he wants to go higher.
Racing and Stade Français are in line.
“We knew he would stay in the area, close to his parents, even if his origins are from Aveyron,” adds Olivier Gazon.
“I would have liked to keep him for another year, continues Didier Faugeron, manager of the Massy pro team at the time, but he was determined.
"
He therefore goes to the Stade Français, shy but voluntary.
Beaming, hurt, sometimes, or competing too.
This prevents him from winning the title of world champion under 20 years in 2018, helmed by Arthur Vincent today also called with the Blues!
He makes up for it by being sacred the following year.
The prodigy continues his journey towards the heights, while following a technical-commercial BTS.
Here he is at the gates of the Blues.
So fast.