For two seasons and all at the discretion, the third line transformed into the second line (1.90 m, 112 kg) has become an indestructible XV Biarrot. With 78 minutes of play on average since the beginning of the season and almost 70 in …
For two seasons and all at the discretion, the third line transformed into the second line (1.90 m, 112 kg) has become an indestructible XV Biarrot. With 78 minutes of play on average since the start of the season and nearly 70 in the previous two seasons, including one in the Top 14, he is one of the top names in the weekend standings. “He is someone who can influence the game,” striker manager Shaun Sowerby said of him a little over a year ago. Not much has changed since then. “For us it is very important, Roger Ripoll, scrum coach abounds. He is very committed, he gives a lot of himself for the collective and he merges, which is essential for us ”. And it will certainly be this Friday as well, against the effective winger Agenais (two wins in Rouen and Provence Rugby).
The innate and the acquired
The numbers speak for themselves. The Fijian international (4 selections) finished first scratcher in the Top 14 with no less than 41 torn balloons. Far, far ahead of Rochelais Pierre Bourgarit (22), Brive captain Saïd Hirèche (19) and his former teammate Steffon Armitage (18). With 12 ammo already stolen, he is obviously still in the lead this season, ahead of his compatriot and Angoulême player, Sikeli Nabou (8).
“It’s part of my game. I worked on it a lot when I was young, after seeing old men on TV like Dusautoir (Thierry), Pocock (David) and of course Richie McCaw, because scratching is part of the criteria for being a good third line. my favorite was Juan Smith (third row South African international with 70 selections ed). He was complete, technically, tactically… ”, recalls the former Racing 92 player with a slight smile.
Already first in the Top 14, Johnny remains at the top of the Pro D2 scratcher chart this season.
Emilie Drouinaud / SOUTH WEST
There is perhaps something reassuring for opponents in telling themselves that this ease is not just the result of a gift. Even though Biarritz Olympique manager Matthew Clarkin believes a lot in madness: “Honestly, it’s in him. He has the perfect stature and the mentality to challenge the ball, for which he is made ”. The work for the staff and his player now lies in the sorting of actions: “Technically we don’t learn anything from Johnny, details Ripoll. We rather spend the time telling him that he has to feel when he has to continue or stop, so as not to be penalized by the referee ”.
The effort, a reward
Let’s not prolong the suspense, Dyer won’t reveal his secrets when it comes to explaining what the perfect scratch is. “You have to be lower on your support than the one who also comes to compete and keep your shoulders very broad. It is a gesture that I now instinctively make and that, at times, I like to do, “she will say simply. Makes you want to try in the garden it looks so simple. Then he thinks back to his solid companions who must be carried in the saddle …
“If you go out without pain it’s because you didn’t give everything on the pitch”
It is the total commitment that this task, and rugby in general, requires that especially attracts Johnny Dyer. If you go out without pain it is because you didn’t give everything on the pitch. If so, when I get home, I won’t feel well. This total effort is like a reward. If you run out of energy, even if the team has lost, you can at least be at peace with yourself », he philosophizes, his eyes still a little elusive.
Given the latest performances, the second line could be called up to play the two games of the autumn tour with Fiji that will face Italy and Scotland. Nicolas Mollo / SOUTH-WEST
“I am indebted to rugby”
This form of sporting generosity also arises from the trials of life. Johnny’s lived through the work in a gold mine as a young man, the distance from his native island and then the separation of his wife and two children aged 4 and 6 during the pandemic. “It is one less worry and one less effort that they are with me today. I got up early or went to bed late to have them on the phone because of jet lag ”, he rewinds those who love the environment and the climate of Biarritz, even though he often wears Lycra when he trains in full sun.
“It is thanks to my work and to God that I am here, confesses the pious second line. I am indebted to rugby, it is thanks to this game that I have been able to travel so much and have this life today. Every warm-up, I think about it, motivates me for the game. You must always give back to the game what it has given you ”, he concludes with a“ thank you ”which also means that he has said enough. Next time it might be in French, “My daughter teaches me”.
