PORTRAIT – After the disappointment of the last Tournament, UBB’s winger has been repositioned in the center, the position of his beginnings, to cover various absences. A winning option.
His absence caused a stir. Best scorer in the history of the French XV (40 tries), Damian Penaud – like Gregory Alldritt and Gaël Fickou – was not called up for the victorious campaign of the Blues in the last Six Nations Tournament. A tough blow and a blow to the ego that the Bordeaux winger healed by focusing on his family and his club. And UBB had to face a big problem with the shoulder injury of Nicolas Depoortère, absent for many months. To remedy this, Yannick Bru and his staff suggested to Penaud to return to the center, the position where he started and won the Brennus shield with Clermont in 2017.
“We had to find a solution after Nicolas’ injury, we weren’t feeling great,” said Bordeaux manager, Yannick Bru, to Le Figaro. “Damian was an option and he responded well with exemplary altruism and mindset. After his adventures in the Tournament, he projected himself with a lot of energy onto the club and it made him happy.” Starting in that position in the last three UBB matches, Damian Penaud showed frenetic activity and good efficiency: 64 meters gained, 5.5 defenders beaten, and 12.5 passes on average since his repositioning. In a conversation with Maxime Lucu captured by Canal+, he mentioned: “In the center, it’s different. You cover everything, you have more balls, you do rucks, you tackle.”
Passer la publicité;
A new challenge
Known for his infectious good humor, the player who was voted best player in the last Champions Cup (with a record of 14 tries in one edition) has taken on a new challenge, a kind of return to his roots. “Damian is someone who hates standing still, he needs to be challenged, to be offered new things. He wanted this new challenge,” continued Yannick Bru. “He embraced it with great appetite. And he also wants to confirm.” The interim should continue with the serious injury of Rohan Janse van Rensburg, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last Sunday, just a minute after coming on against Leicester.
For now, “Cheval” (his nickname) has not lost any of his offensive power. “Damian is solid, he has the ball, when he is one on one, he is not the easiest to tackle. And he is hungry,” highlights Maxime Lucu. Franck Azéma, the former coach of ASM who launched him into the pros, explained during the last World Cup: “His first quality is speed, the range he can have in his legs, his ability to break through when he cuts in. He knows he has it in him. He has a lot of power in his legs. He can also get out of tackles with his hand-offs. He also has an imposing stature, he is not clumsy with his hands. These are quite a few assets.”
“A truly intelligent player”
In the heart of Bordeaux’s attack, Damian Penaud quickly found synergies with Yoram Moefana, to form a solid partnership combining power and speed. “He has all the qualities to play in the center. He’s someone who breaks through a lot, who has incredible ardor. He’s a high-level player,” recently praised Moefana on Ici Gironde. “I enjoy playing with him. We talk to each other, and I think he also enjoys playing in the 13th position.” And the Polynesian center of the French XV jokingly commented on his supposed reputation for being a bad defender: “He tackles too, so I’m very happy for him. He has to, but I know deep down he loves it. That’s Damian, you have to force him to go against his nature!”
This season, Damian Penaud has already played twice in the center against the Reds and Blacks: a first time with no sequel in the wide Toulouse victory in mid-October 56-13 and, more recently, during the Bordeaux revenge 44-20, for his first (successful) of three consecutive starts in the number 13 position. On the side of Stade Toulousain, they are therefore on the lookout. Especially Thomas Ramos, his friend and former roommate at Marcoussis. “The center position allows him to touch even more balls. We have to be very vigilant because he is a player who manages his duels very well and attacks the spaces,” warns the French rear player. “He makes his team move forward a lot.” A view shared by Noel McNamara, the Irish backs coach for Bordeaux. “Damian is a truly intelligent player, he understands rugby well, he can be a game leader.” UBB will need him to overturn the Toulouse behemoth.
