2023-06-15 06:23:00
“Greg is our captain, he adds a different dimension to everyone when he plays”; “Thanks to him, the mentality in this club has changed a lot. He is not too interested in playing but in winning. » During his successive speeches, Ronan O’Gara never ceases to praise the qualities of leader of men and the temperament of Grégory Alldritt (26 years old, 39 caps). How did the Gersois, raised in local rugby and passed under the radar of young selections, assert himself as a very high level competitor and a multi-treat winner? Where does this extra soul specific to champions come from? The captain from La Rochelle, double European champion and best EPCR player of the year, confides in this facet of his personality.
It does not offend you to say that you were not originally programmed to evolve at such a high level…
When I was young, yes, I did not pretend to become a professional rugby player. I didn’t even imagine it. I was playing rugby because I simply loved it. And besides that, I was studying to prepare for a job later. It is true that everything happened very quickly. It fell on me and I’m delighted. In my wildest dreams, I did not see myself playing in the Top 14, in the European Cup, with the France team.
What would the 18-19 year old Grégory Alldritt say when he saw what you have become?
He would find it hard to believe. He might even be shocked.
When did you say to yourself: rugby is no longer just a passion, it can become a job and my whole life?
The changeover happened when I had the opportunity to join La Rochelle. I then put my studies on hold, I left far from friends and family… I had two years to try my luck. I said to myself : “It would be a shame to have regrets all my life because I didn’t put in the effort.” I wanted to put all the chances on my side by working very hard. I mightn’t imagine doing things at 50%. It was clear in my head: “You’re two years old, you give 100%.” Once I had started to touch the professional world, I had only one desire, it was to go up there. I did not want to stop at the hopeful level. I ended up getting there. It was really when I arrived in La Rochelle that I had the click.
Brice Dulin will experience the tenth final of his career. At 33, the back of Stade Rochelais has forged one of the finest records in French rugby.https://t.co/rBVHm7j4Jo
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) June 14, 2023
How did you end up in La Rochelle, by the way? It is said that this is largely due to the presence of Grégory Patat…
“Greg” played a big part in that, that’s for sure. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. Patrick’s speech (Collage) also counted. It’s the only club where they didn’t make me a promise when I did the interview. He told me : “I don’t promise you that you will play, far from it, but if you are diligent and you work, you will play.” It’s a speech that spoke to me, close to the one I had in Auch. I found in La Rochelle the values that there were in Auch. With ten times more resources and infrastructure (smile). But the mentality was close.
Were you approached by Toulouse at the time?
No, I had nothing concrete with Toulouse. It wasn’t a real lead.
How did you change mentally once you set out to become a professional rugby player?
Above all, it was only happiness. Part of my mentality changed: it was no longer the weekend game with friends where we party followingwards, it had become a place where I wanted to perform. It took more investment and work to progress quickly but I always kept this pleasure first approach in mind.
Pleasure, this word comes up regularly in your mouth…
I am lucky enough to get up in the morning to play rugby. I ask for nothing more and I cannot hope for anything better. That’s why, even today, I enter the field with a smile. You know, I’ve always forbidden myself to complain or criticize. The Gers is a very rural department and, when I was little, I went to work in the fields in the summer. I think of all those people who do this every day for a living.
Did you feel right away in your place, when you hadn’t known any young teams or attended a professional club?
I never felt any inferiority complex. My parents taught me never to make excuses. It’s too easy to put the blame on a coach, on partners, on a context… What matters is the behavior we have. I have always been sure of my abilities and aware of what I had to do.
“The Rochelais fed on their defeats in 2021”
In The Third Half, Alexi Balès, who knows the two Stadiums better than anyone, immerses us in what has changed in the Maritimes in recent seasons!
Full broadcast > pic.twitter.com/vqAufekgRQ
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) June 14, 2023
Where does this competitive character that Ronan O’Gara praises come from? Was it forged over time?
It was my parents who did their best to give me this temperament. Since childhood, everything I might have, I had to work to obtain. I had a very beautiful childhood, I lacked nothing (smile). But, if I needed pocket money, I had to give of myself. My father and my mother made it clear to me that nothing in life was free. When I played at the weekend, they were at the edge of the field. They came to make sure I had enough gnac. They didn’t care regarding technique, but desire mattered a lot. There was also emulation with my older brothers. All this germinates in me since very young.
What activities did your parents do?
My mother worked at Airbus and my father had a gite on a 10 hectare property. Suffice to say that there was work to do outside. If I wanted a ticket, I just had to go out and rake or dig.
Your insatiable side comes out more and more, over your interviews… Are you never satisfied?
I constantly need to have a project in mind, whether it’s for rugby and the rest. It lets me know in which direction I’m going. I love to work but I always do it with a goal in mind. I think I’m quite a determined person. When I want something, I do everything to get it. It doesn’t work all the time, unfortunately.
Can this backfire on you?
It is not a question of letting yourself be eaten away, but it is good to constantly stimulate yourself and to hurt yourself from time to time. If you stay in your comfort zone, it’s the beginning of the end.
Was the intervention of mental preparation specialists useful to you?
There has been a lot of work done on this point with the France team. This is also the case in a club. It helps to approach things in a more serene way. Then there is the experience that came over the matches, too.
Can we therefore keep our feet on the ground and open up to sophrology and what is related to it?
I’m not refractory as long as it’s concrete. In the past, we had people who spoke to us in scientific terms and lost us following 30 seconds. You have to prove to me by A + B that it works. And if it can help, I’m a taker.
We suggest you compose your ideal XV with the two armadas! To your votes!
And tonight, we’re doing it live at 8 p.m. on Twitch!https://t.co/R9ACopUziy— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) June 13, 2023
Without this serenity, you would never have been able to overthrow Leinster in the European Cup final…
It needed serenity and confidence, above all. Confidence in each of us, in the group, the staff, the strategy… We had all that. The ability to stay calm and keep the guideline of our game was decisive.
You also had to be a zen captain to keep things clear as Leinster led 20-0 following 11 minutes…
(smile) The thing is, just before the match, I announced that even if we lost 20-0, or won 20-0 in the 20th, we should not deviate from the strategy. When we found ourselves under the posts, we looked into each other’s eyes in mode: “It’s like we said before the match, there’s more to it.” Well, so to speak, of course.
How did you build yourself as a captain?
I have often been captain in youth teams. In Auch, I learned from those around me. And here, I was enriched by the presence of Victor Vito and Romain Sazy. They are very different players and I was able to draw a lot of things from them. Romain is someone with values close to mine, who has a lot of experience and knows how to manage a group; Victor, he had a very specific side, he gave confidence and reassured his partners.
You, who have Scottish origins through your father, also release this Anglo-Saxon side, quite cold on the lawn?
My bias is quite clear: once you enter the field, there are no more emotions. There are only machines in a way. Finally, from time to time, positive emotions can still serve as fuel. It’s all regarding balance really. You must not be too Latin, so as not to be overwhelmed by feelings and lose control. And if you are completely cold, it can make you “empty” in a way.
1️⃣ud83cudd9a1️⃣ – This Saturday evening, Toulouse and La Rochelle have an appointment to designate the champion of France 2023. Is this final the most exciting since the beginning of the century in Top 14? This is the 1 vs 1 question of the week! pic.twitter.com/kl33hvimwe
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) June 12, 2023
How important are speeches to you?
To be honest, the speech is least important to me. I tend to try to distribute the floor. There are several captains in the group. Every time we get together, I watch Antoine Hastoy, Romain (Penalty), Pierre Bourgarit, “Jo” Danty, Uini (Anthony), others who are less talkative… Everyone who has something to say must speak up. It belongs to everyone.
Antoine Dupont, who is your captain in Blue, is he a source of inspiration?
I am inspired by Antoine as well as what is done globally in the France team. It works well, around a core of 5-6 players as well. It would be silly not to be inspired by it. The image of the shepherd walking alone in front of his flock is just ridiculous. I don’t have the infused science, nobody has it besides. It’s important to pick the best from everyone. It can only make the group stronger.
How have the setbacks in the final in 2021 changed you?
These defeats and the fact that Ronan became manager helped me a lot to become a winner, as we are now in La Rochelle. Before, we celebrated the semi-finals won. Then Ronan said stop: “It’s ridiculous. Losing in the final or in the round of 16 is the same result. There’s no glory in that. “Ronan is obsessed with winning. Everywhere he goes, he wants to win. Now we play for titles, it’s different.
Is the emulation that has existed between you and the Toulouse stadium for a few years an additional motivation?
It’s huge, yes. Toulouse is a very, very big team. We want to prove to everyone that we are a great team. We still have to prove it in the Top 14. We have a double title of European champion to assume.
Does the idea of founding a dynasty, mentioned by Ronan O’Gara and several of your partners, serve as a concrete goal in your eyes?
Of course, the objective is to win as many titles as possible and to climb the highest club. You should never rest on your laurels. You also have to always work hard, live the present moment to the fullest. The sequel will write itself.
Before you face each other, do you usually send small spades with Antoine Dupont and the “Gersois” of Stade Toulouse?
We often send each other messages but I admit that we don’t talk much regarding rugby from a distance. It’s more for bullshit than anything else. Rugby, we discuss it enough when we see each other.
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