Very little used at the start of the FC Grenoble season, and even seconded to the Supersevens in September, the Haute-Savoie winger made a resounding return last week against Montauban. Or how to turn a setback into a stepping stone towards a better season.
Florent Cotté – Today at 08:05
The bounces of the oval ball are sometimes surprising… and Wilfried Hulleu is now well placed to know it. While we thought he was on his way to the Supersevens final scheduled for Sunday October 22 in Paris, he once again donned the red and blue jersey of FC Grenoble, his training club, for a Pro D2 match against Montauban (37- 16) Thursday evening.
“I thought so too. It was to my great surprise,” admitted the FCG winger frankly. “I had already received my train tickets to Paris, I had to leave. And in the end, I was told that I was staying and that I was going to play with Grenoble. The coaches told me Tuesday morning that I was part of the extended group. And that I was surely going to start on the wing…”
Not only did Wilfried Hulleu start this meeting on the 8th day, but he also scored two tries in the first half to put his team on the path to success. “Having my chance at the Stade des Alpes was even more pleasing. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I got it in your head that I had to show and prove. » Through his availability and his sharp runs, “Will” undoubtedly energized his team’s offensive play.
“The seven brings us, on technique and vision of the game”
Should we see the beneficial effect of going through rugby sevens? “I thought it would have benefited me physically. But apparently… not enough, since I got cramps in the 50th minute,” laughed the winger (21 years old), trained at RC Le Môle (Bonneville). “On a technical level, it’s really added value. It’s a sport that can help us in terms of technique and vision of the game. With seven on the pitch, it’s not the same way of playing. The qualities we have in Seven are found in XV. »
So even if he missed the Parisian high mass, Hulleu showed the new FCG staff that they can count on him. “It’s been a while since I’ve set foot at the Stade des Alpes and it’s an almost perfect return for me. Except for his cramps! I’m glad I was able to double the stake. »
With his more compact and toned profile, Wilfried Hulleu offers his coaches a different alternative to the winger position Photo Le DL /Stéphane Pillaud
He who played twelve games (seven as a starter) and scored 3 tries last season, aspires to go up another notch. Even if he knows that in his position, the competition (with Qadiri, Dridi, Farissier, Cros and soon A. Manu, returning from injury) is tough. “We have to know how to work in the shadows, even if we are not yet given the opportunity. And know how to grasp it at the moment they give it to us. » With his stocky and toned profile (1.84 m and 93 kg), and also his ability to defend hard against his opponents, he offers one more option to the FCG.
The Baabaas won the Supersevens
Neither Wilfried Hulleu nor Hugo Trouilloud played in the Supersevens final last Sunday at La Défense Arena. But the Baabaas Sevens team, which they had helped to qualify, won this 4th edition of the French rugby sevens championship for professional clubs, dominating the Paloise Sevens Section in the final (17-14).
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