Pierre-Louis Barassi participated in the World Cup. Not the last, that of 2019 in Japan where he was called during the competition to replace Wesley Fofana. Since then, he had “left his comfort zone”, in his own words, by leaving Lyon for Toulouse. And yet, he still only has three selections with the XV of France. Like when he arrived at the Rouge et Noir last year. The fault lies in repeated injuries which have slowed down the progress of the man who was presented, not long ago, as a great hope of French rugby.
Already last year, when he was returning to his best level, he suffered a hamstring injury during the rout against Leinster in the semi-final of the Champions Cup (41-22). After only a quarter of an hour of play. While he was not really in the good books of Fabien Galthié and his staff, this had definitively put an end to his hopes of participating in the World Cup. In France. Of course, he was starting too far away, but what a waste of time… A few months later, backlash. The one who was elected revelation of the Top 14 in 2019 has found color again. Bright red. Very bloody.
The native of Céléstat – where his father had been a professional handball player – started the Champions Cup off to a flying start. Two sparkling matches against the Cardiff Blues (52-7) then against the Harlequins (19-47), scoring a double (7th and 51st) at the Stoop Stadium. A return to the forefront after months of struggle and, surely, doubts. For his first season in Toulouse, he struggled to meet the expectations placed on him. He had arrived on tiptoe, declaring shortly after his arrival in Haute-Garonne: “My goal is not to become the star of the team. There are a lot of big names in Toulouse and they are highlighted in a completely normal way. They deserve it more than others. Personally, I don’t see any negative points in it.”
The former U20 world champion (in 2018, the first of three coronations) is therefore approaching his second season under the orders of Ugo Mola without any particular pressure. “I view this start of the second season as a normal start to the season. I have now been in this squad for over a year, I am doing my best to make my contribution. So I don’t bother particularly and I don’t necessarily set myself any particular objective, just bring the best of myself, whether sportingly, humanly, every day to move the team forward and win the matches. », he recently confided to our colleagues at France Bleu Occitanie.
His association Pita Ahki has done damage in the Champions Cup, it now remains to be confirmed over time. Again and again. Last year, the former Lyonnais explained to Midi Olympique that by signing for Stade Toulousain, he wanted to “broaden (his) rugby palette”: “I am aware that the rugby practiced here is very offensive. What makes the difference, if we want to succeed in putting this game in place, is on technical details: perfect passes and runs for example. This was brilliantly seen during his last outings.
But the competition is tough in his position, even more so than elsewhere. Difficult to integrate into the Toulouse rotation over time. “My personal goals are to have fun every day at Stade Toulousain, to give my best, to continue, to progress within the group, but also individually,” he continues. I want to make my contribution, even more this year. I want to be even more important for the team, to have fun and really bring the best of myself to help this team move forward.” Before thinking about the French team. And the time lost on the way.
