Just the mention of the name “Tuilagi” made the stands of Aimé-Giral shudder for years. Henry’s charges remain in everyone’s memory. He who arrived in 2007 in the Pyrénées-Orientales, never left. In 2015, he even stopped his retirement to return to business in the field in PRO D2.
A new Tuilagi will wear the colors of the USAP: Posolo! After appearances in the hopes last season, he carried out the preparation with the pros and should know, this Saturday, his first minutes in the Top 14. He will be a substitute: “he’s not going to play sixty minutessays forwards coach Perry Freshwater, but he is ready! He is huge ! He’s out of the ordinary, he’s explosive“.
18 years old: 1m92 for 149 kilos
The USAP gradually launches the young Tuilagi who is just 18 years old The one who is called upon to perpetuate the worthy lineage is above all impressive by its measurements: 1m92 for 149 kilos! For Perry Freshwater, it is necessarily special to coach the son of his former glorious teammate: “I’m getting old. In addition, he really has the same behavior as his father, the same attitude when he runs with his head tilting a little backwards, it’s weird, it’s the same.”
“Every time he is on the field, he moves forward with the mass he has and his explosiveness. As soon as he starts, he sends the grass behind him to Bompas. We have to manage him well, but I like him a lot, he is very, very strong.“. In La Rochelle, the USAP will carry out a staff review but the first minutes of the young son Tuilagi will not lack interest. He will come into play in the second half, like what he did with the young people of USAP where he came to help make the difference at the end of the match.
Of course, the level will be quite different to Marcel-Deflandre and he will be able to compete for a few minutes against huge names in world rugby and perhaps even Will Skelton who should make his return against the Catalans.
“It will be difficult to keep it”
It also remains to be seen how the USAP will use this player with an extraordinary physique in the coming months and years:It’s gonna be hard to keep him for years to come.does not hide the USAP forwards coach, he’s a player with enormous potential but above all you have to take it easy with him, also gently in the weight room on everything that is workload because he has a hell of a physique but above all also because he is very young, he’s still a baby so we take it easy with him.“
Aimé-Giral only has to cross his fingers to hope to shudder again while admiring the charges of a Tuilagi. In this gloomy start to the season for the Catalan club and before a highly dangerous trip to the European champions, USAP supporters are looking for reasons to rejoice and hope. The advent of certain young people can bring back a smile like Théo Forner, the winger, who will start at Deflandre or therefore the pretty baby of 149 kilos who will seek to make a name for himself: Posolo Tuilagi!