UBB Final - Northampton: "Basically, King Louis is not a very prestigious nickname." Louis Picamoles' memories

Former French international Louis Picamoles (39 years old, 82 caps) wore the jersey of UBB and Northampton, the two teams facing each other in the Champions Cup final this Saturday (3:45 p.m.) in Cardiff. He delves into his memories

Louis Picamoles (39 years old) hung up his boots in 2022 after a rich career marked by 82 selections for the French national team (2008-2019), seven seasons at Stade Toulousain (2009-2016) with whom he won two Brennus (2011, 2012), and nine seasons at Montpellier (2004-2009 then 2017-2021), his favorite club, where he is now president of the association and coach of the U16s. But the former third-row center was also marked by his time at Northampton (2016-2017) and at UBB where he played his final season. The Champions Cup final between these two clubs this Saturday (3:45 p.m.) in Cardiff was an opportunity to take him back to his memories.

Between France and England, there are still two different visions of rugby. At Northampton, I would say Courtney Lawes because of his career and the aura he had at the club. He had this ability to impose a certain fear on the opponent. At Bordeaux, Matthieu Jalibert has a magical power. He is capable of stepping out of the box and doing what few players would be capable of achieving. He is a unique player, a bit divisive: you either love him or you hate him. I am truly one of those who adore him.

Calum Clarke, Northampton's third row. When it came to aggression on the pitch, he was really borderline. When I arrived there, the first story people told me about him was during a derby against Leicester... In a ruck, he came to clear the ball, grabbed the hooker's arm, the guy yelled for him to let go, he forced it and broke his elbow. Besides that, the guy was a sweetheart, a really nice person. But as soon as he put on the jersey, he was obsessed with marking the opponent. In training or in a match, it was the same thing. He really impressed me with his aggression.

Nans Ducuing, without a doubt. But he's a funny, crazy guy and very important in a squad. He hasn't always had easy seasons, he doesn't have a linear career, but the guy always stays positive, he sets the mood. He maintains the balance of the locker room with his good humor and what he can organize for the team off the field. He creates a bond between the French and foreigners, the young and the old. He amazed me every day with his crazy antics.

In Bordeaux, François (Trinh-Duc) because of our history. We were really motivated to do our last season together. But off the pitch, I spent more time with Nans (Ducuing) and Max Lucu… As an anecdote, one evening, we parked in a parking lot, we went to have a few drinks and when it was time to leave, it was impossible to find the car. We stayed 45 minutes driving around. I was getting worked up, Max and Nans were dying of laughter, they gave me coins, which made me even more worked up. In the end, we found the car on the only floor we hadn't visited. We still laugh about it today. At the time, I also saw Matthieu Jalibert quite a bit. I had a lot of preconceived notions about him before arriving and he was a great discovery for me. I stayed in touch with these guys. We don't see each other often but when we do, it feels like we've only just left.

There were some great third halves in Bordeaux, we loved sharing moments together. I only spent a year and a half at this club but it was incredibly powerful on a human level. I was coming out of a complicated period at Montpellier, I was afraid that my career would end. And there was this opportunity at UBB. I gave my all, I had the confidence of Christophe (Urios) and the whole group. I felt legitimate. It allowed me to finish my career as I dreamed. At Northampton, I was very quickly adopted. I had my nickname: King Louis. If it was taken up by the supporters in a complimentary way, you have to know that originally, it was a nickname in reference to the monkey in The Jungle Book. Luther Burell (England international center three-quarter), he was Bagheera. King Louis then became the reference to the King of France, but basically, it's something a little less prestigious (laughs).

My last match in Montpellier with UBB. The team had prepared a special week for François (Trinh-Duc) and me. Christophe (Urios) had named me captain. All the guys had given their best to give us a great moment, we won (22-23). ​​At the end of the match, the emotions had obviously subsided. The MHR had given us a framed jersey. There was respect and a very touching tribute. Class. Sometimes, the human element takes over and it ends with great anecdotes.

At Northampton, there's no shouting. I was really surprised. I remember a game where we took 40 points from Castres. I arrived on Monday, thinking we were going to get cut up. And in the video room, the guys were chatting and laughing. During the debrief, there was no raising of voices either. You come out of a defeat like that in France, your knees are clenching and you're afraid to take a shot. They're more pragmatic. They say to themselves: we were rubbish, we know it. We Latins think the same thing but we need to express it. At UBB, Christophe (Urios) had this ability to say things quite frankly, like after the defeat in Perpignan (22-15 in June 2022) and everything that triggered afterward. You either like him or you don't, but he's an honest person. He doesn't shoot on sight in front of the whole group either, but he can see you one-on-one and then you take what you need.

We're going on an internship with Northampton during my first few weeks. During one evening, I exported a tradition I'd learned in Montpellier. I made them sniff whisky from a teaspoon. Okay, it's not very clever, but it was kind of my thing during the first few parties. The English people were blown away, the staff looked at me and said, "Who's this crazy guy?" In Bordeaux, the guys got it too. Beyond the drinking, these moments of sharing are important for integration.

Even though I had a fantastic year at Northampton, I remain patriotic. I will never forget the opportunity Bordeaux gave me to finish my career on a high note. I will definitely be 200% Bordeaux for this final.