They fit a little more into the history of the club. On Saturday, against Racing, Tom Ecochard and Damien Chouly will join the very private circle of players who have worn the sang-et-or jersey 200 times. Chance wants that it will be at the same time for its two players with different stories.
Tom Ecochard has known only one professional club. His first match was in December 2012 in Toulon (defeat 46 to 13). The scrum-half of Aude origin had an atypical career from the start. After having twice missed – for a last minute unavailability – his first at USAP, he was called in disaster to go and play at Mayol. Florian Cazenave, ill, withdrew and it was on the morning of the match that the president at the time, Daniel Besson, drove the young Ecochard to Toulon. He is just 20 years old.
Over the second half of the season, Tom Ecochard will experience his first starts: one in the European Challenge against Rovigo, the other in the top 14 in Agen. And since then, everything has been linked. First in the role of understudy until becoming the number one position in 2015 after the departure of Dewaldt Duvenage.
I’ve known a lot here – Tom Ecochard
The 100th personal game also remains a special memory. It was December 14, 2017, a dark date for the Catalan country, the day of the drama of Millas. The same evening, in the Bayonne rain, USAP had a great match and won 30 to 12. Tom Ecochard then had a year under high pressure with the captaincy in the Top 14. Then there was competition with Sadek Deghmache.
The Catalan scrum-half weathered a few storms at USAP but has always been one of those who have worked to keep the ship afloat, putting collective interests before personal ones: “individually and collectively, I experienced a lot of things, descents, climbs, coaches who were cleared, crises, divided locker rooms, yes I experienced a lot of things. And now we are on a collective mission to save the club, starting on Saturday against Racing.”
His history with twists and turns with the USAP could also be summed up in the last six months: “The rise of Ecochard somehow. Was he part of the staff’s plans at the start of the season? From potential third scrum-half in the squad, he became number one. Saturday will therefore be the 200th match with a jersey more tightly than ever on his shoulders, that of the USAP: “It makes you happy and proud. It rewards me for everything I’ve given to the club since I’ve been here and to all those who have given me their trust. I arrived in 2009 as a youth and in 2012 as a pro. But it doesn’t stop there, the most important thing is the victory of the team this weekend.”
Damien Chouly: More than 400 professional matches including 200 at USAP
Damien Chouly, after having passed the bar of 400 professional matches, will therefore also reach this bar of 200 appearances with the USAP jersey. The original Limousin arrived at USAP in 2007 from Brive where he started at 18 and played 50 games in the Top 14.
It was during the World Cup that he played his first blood-and-gold match, on the field of Montpellier (defeat 19 to 12 in September 2007). He stayed at the Catalan club for five seasons (139 games) and took charge of Clermont.
Chouly played in Auvergne for seven years, he won his second Brennus shield along the way. The public reception of Michelin last week clearly showed that it had left a great memory in Auvergne soil.
A lot of pride and honor – Damien Chouly
Returned to PRO D2 at USAP in 2018, he has since played 60 games. Saturday will be the 200th: making the Catalan jersey the one who will have worn it the most during his long and rich career.
“USAP is an important club for me and being able to play 200 games in this jersey is a source of great pride and honor. It’s an additional motivation if needed. It’s a small anecdote but on a personal level it will remain very important when all this is over”, explains the third line which also totals 46 selections for the Blues.
A few months ago on France Bleu Roussillon Damien Chouly announced that it was most likely his last professional season and that the last challenge of his career was just as important as a title: winning maintenance with USAP.