“The movement game is exciting for a winger”
After six years in La Rochelle, Arthur Retière changed course by signing in Toulouse. The Toulouse club may havêTo be found the successor of Kolbe and Huget after a difficult season for the Toulouse wingers.
You scored with La Rochelle the decisive try in the European final. A test that erases all the frustrations experienced in the season…
Yes, it was difficult with two injuries in one year I had an almost white season. I was coming back from pubalgia, I injured myself again, in the fibula this time, I had to go back to the infirmary. I had complications with the cast and then the boot and mentally it was very hard. But the end is magnificent with this European title.
“I often went to see my brother in Toulouse and suddenly, I met the other players”
How did you manage your return after such a long absence by being, in addition, used in a position of 9 which is not yours?
I didn’t have any apprehension, just a few little pains, but even though I really wanted to play, as you can imagine, I didn’t try to overplay or overdo it, it is the risk when you have been deprived of land for a long time. I wanted to play so much that I was ready to occupy any position (laughs).
I played scrum early in my career before being moved to the wing. For the final stages, the unavailability of Kerr-Barlow led me to take the position. We are not on the same heartbeat between the 9 and the winger, the 9 has a lot to manage too, I prefer to be on my wing, take the ball and run (laughs). We have fewer things to manage than the 9 and 10 which are strategic positions in the heart of the game.
You played your last minutes in the La Rochelle jersey in the play-offs… against Toulouse. Why did you decide to leave a European champion club on the rise?
I did not receive an extension offer, so I looked at other clubs’ proposals. Toulouse had been following me for a while. I thought a lot with my family, my friends. I took advantage of my long unavailability to reflect. I weighed the pros and cons. Finally, my choice fell on the Stadium.
The presence of your brother at the club also weighed in the balance, right?
Yes, we get along very well. I often went to see him in Toulouse and suddenly I met the other players. I know almost everyone at the club, that’s cool, it’s also important for a good integration. The movement game practiced is also exciting for a winger. I will touch a lot of balls and I like it.