Native of Gloucester in England, the center of the USAP Ethan Randle will play Sunday, March 20, against the soldiers of the Rose, a colorful Crunch. A necessarily special match.
Even in his wildest ideals, Ethan Randle could not imagine a better end to the incredible scenario of his first Six Nations tournament with the Bleuets. A finish that looks like an apotheosis for him, who pushed his first babble two decades earlier, across the Channel. “Cherry on the Cake”, as they say among His Majesty’s subjects, the rock of the three-quarter line will face its mother country in its den of Aimé-Giral. Idyllic. “I am often asked the question of why I chose France rather than England, entrusts “ Isseune “. Even if I still have family there, I play in France, and for me, I am French. I arrived here when I was ten years old… I’m proud to wear this jersey, it was a dream for a long time. I am proud to be French”.
The President’s Bet
A dream, which the one who fell in love with the leather oval at the Cheltenham Tigers, a small club in the suburbs of Gloucester, cherishes today with the greatest tenderness. He who, unlike Samuel M’Foudi, his teammate in the “blood and gold”, was not necessarily out of place pushing the huge gates of Marcoussis. “I had a summer tournament in South Africa in U16, and France Development also. But there, we really feel the challenge, the importance of the shirt. There are thousands of players of my age who would dream of that “We play for the Country! The responsibility is enormous, and alone is enough to increase the intensity and the emotions of each match”. Emotions experienced during the past two months that this golf enthusiast unfolds without concession, ranging from this first Marseillaise, until the moment of crossing his best friend, Murray Redpath, scrum half of Scotland. “We grew up together. So to find ourselves there, face to face, on a France-Scotland, it was magical. We laughed about it at the end of the match, and I told him that he came when he wanted on Perpignan (laughs)”. This Catalan land, and this sanctuary that is Aimé-Giral, “Beefy”, he will find them tomorrow. “A Crunch is always a huge game, and I’m not going to say that for me it’s even bigger, but… I try not to put more pressure on myself than that, but it’s a game Emotionally charged! I received a few messages from my family in England, always with a little joke (laughs). And then, once the enchanted parenthesis is closed, this Formula 1 enthusiast will once again trade the tricolor jersey for the “blood and gold”, which he cherishes so much. “I’m at the end of my contract with the USAP, and I’d really like to extend, and take the professional step with these colors. But first, we’re going to do everything to get the title with the Espoirs. I had bet with Axel Barrière (Editor’s note: the president of the USAP Association) that if we win, I’ll shave his head! And I wouldn’t be against giving it a little scissors!”. For now, Ethan Randle will easily content himself with pruning the roses. For a summit, which promises to be the most “crispy” of his young career…
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