Fabien Galthié and his staff have made a habit, since taking office, of giving a chance to players with atypical profiles.
Which come out of the usual cannons of pro rugby.
Thus, players such as Anthony Bouthier or Melvyn Jaminet, who cut their teeth in Pro D2, were launched into the international deep sea.
“
In the profile of the players that we have, some have not had the ideal course.
Players have gone to gain experience in Pro D2 or Federal
", had recently recognized the coach tricolor.
This is particularly the case of Wilfrid Hounkpatin, the massive (1.92 m, 132 kg) and explosive pillar of Castres Olympique, opposed this Saturday (5 p.m.) at the Stade Toulousain.
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Since the start of the season, Hounkpatin, now crowned with an international status since the last summer tour of the Blues in Australia, has been talked about a lot in Top 14. Against Toulon then against Biarritz, he has indeed scored two doubled, while powerful, by making fly the defenses of the Var and Basque like vulgar straws.
Its special?
Score in force after a penalty quickly played by hand 5 meters from the opponent's in-goal.
Fearsome and unstoppable.
All smiles, the player of Beninese and Senegalese origins confided last weekend at the microphone of Canal +:
"I have a lot of luck at the moment, I will have to play the lottery!" Maybe I'm the stupidest on the team, that's why they give me the ball (Laughs). I try to make my qualities speak, take the ball, move forward, not to ask questions, to go straight, as far as possible. Rory
(Kockott, his scrum half)
stings me a little before, he tells me two or three sentences to motivate me, it works every time. "
Great success for this native of Aubagne, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, who has only twelve years of rugby practice behind him.
He did not come to the oval ball until the age of 18 (he is 30 today) at RC Nîmes, before going through the Montpellier training center, where he sometimes shared the sessions. training of… Fabien Galthié, then trainer of the MHR.
"
I only opted for rugby at the age of 18,
" he told the columns of
La Dépêche du Midi.
Previously, I played soccer and Thai boxing, but I didn't know anything about rugby.
As I already had a good build, some friends encouraged me to come and I started that way.
"
To "get the rind" in Federal 1
Subsequently, he had a complicated season in Narbonne (2013-2014) and left to “get the hang of it” for three seasons in Rouen in Federal 1 (former third division).
The Norman club was then coached by the Englishman Richard Hill, who believed in his potential and sent him to do internships in England (in Bath, Gloucester and Bristol).
The fellow learns quickly, his progress is rapid, especially in closed melee.
And to tell: “
When I started in Nîmes, they did not know where to position me.
I played left pillar, right pillar, second row and even did a wing match.
I had an imposing side, but not too much technique compared to guys who had started in rugby school.
"
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He also played a pivotal role in handball, hence the quality of his support in close combat.
This is how he will catch the eye of Christophe Urios, then CO mentor between 2015 and 2019, who will look for him in Normandy in 2018. Hounkpatin is also in contact with Toulon, Agen and Racing 92, but he opts for Castres.
The technician who had worked miracles in Oyonnax will then polish the diamond.
Make him work on his land and his melee outfit.
In four seasons in the Tarn, he is gaining strength and integrating perfectly into the workforce: he has since played 54 matches (44 as holder), with now 9 tries registered under the jersey of the Tarn club.
A remarkable performance for a pillar.
The most important thing is not to back down in melee
Wilfrid Hounkpatin
Logically, he is spotted by the new staff of the Blues. During the 2020 Tournament, he was summoned for the first time to compensate for the package of Toulousain Dorian Aldegheri. But the Castres are injured in turn and must forfeit. It is only this summer, during the second test match won against the Wallabies, that he will know his first (and only to date) selection. Even if it had been rather in difficulty in closed melee (noted 5.5 / 10 at the time by
Le Figaro
), it makes history since the Blues had not won on the island-continent for 30 years.
“
We were called the team of 'rookies', that kinda meant that we were there to figure out the numbers, that we had to send soldiers to war, well these soldiers showed great things. and just for that, it was fantastic,
”he savored in
La Dépêche
.
He was recalled in blue this week for the November tour.
With this international status to assume.
It worked quite well for him with Castres where he went on to try out with great power.
“
But the most important thing is not to back down in melee,
” he insists.
To be confirmed this fall with the XV of France.
