The French XV makes its return this Friday February 2 with the first match of the 6 Nations Tournament.
“It’s a truck.” The words come from Bordeaux player Yoram Moefana, starting on the wing during this first match of the 6 Nations Tournament against Ireland this Friday February 2. Not present in the group at first, the young player from Perpignan Posolo Tuilagi was finally called to the rescue by Fabien Galthié’s staff after the withdrawal of Lyonnais Romain Taofifenua.
U20 world champion last summer, Posolo Tuilagi exploded in the eyes of the general public when he won the U20 World Cup and single-handedly crushed the baby All Blacks. If his presence at the 2024 6 Nations Tournament was possible, it was not really considered either (his presence during the summer tour in Argentina was a priority). But the 18-year-old colossus (1.94 m and 145 kg) is already unanimous among the players and staff. Toulouse François Cros describes him as a rare profile. “There aren’t many players like him who have his size and power. He can really be a great weapon for us.“In my memory as a player and coach, I have rarely seen a young player make as much difference as he was able to do,” explained William Servat during the match eve conference. “That makes two months that we work with him, that we discuss these matches, the expectations, the attitudes and today he is ready.”
What is the origin of Posolo Tuilagi and why can he play with the XV of France?
Samoan by origin, Posolo Tuilagi was first born to a father, Henri, who was in the heyday of Usap from 2007 to 2015 and who was a Samoan international. His uncle, Manu, has 59 caps for the England team where he played three-quarter center. So why can a player from Samoa become a French player? To get the answer you have to look at article 8 of World Rugby; “A player is eligible to represent a national team if he, his parents or grandparents were born in the relevant country, or if he has resided in that country for 60 consecutive months.” All that remains is to appreciate his presence in the XV of France!