Titanic, Gregory Alldritt showed the way to his teammates against the Irish of Leinster, Saturday in Dublin. After Antoine Dupont in 2021, the captain of Stade Rochelais was in turn voted best player in this final and this 2023 edition of the Champions Cup. XAVIER LEOTY/PHOTOPQR/SUD OUEST/MAXPPP
The captain of the Maritimes, a real bulldozer on the ground, is one of the best number 8 in the world. He was logically crowned European player of the year.
His face, crossed by a beautiful cut, is reddened by the shocks. His eyes too, but with joy and pride. He and his troupe have just realized one of the greatest feats in the history of the Champions Cup, go up a 17-0 in the enclosure overheated by the Dublin supporters. Despite the storm, the Rochelais, impressive in cold blood, stayed the course. They never gave up and even less panicked. “We showed character, winning this way is just hugehe confided, moved. But we weren’t worried. When we didn’t put our first try (by Danty, at the 20e minute), another game has started.” For a crazy comeback. Unimaginable against a team as formidable and methodical as Leinster.
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But the captain of Stade Rochelais knew how to remobilize his troops to stop the bleeding. As South African winger Dillyn Leyds recounted: “We didn’t have the ball for the first 12 minutes. But, at 17-0, Greg told us…
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