BREAKS AND telling defensive interventions. Even a try. In a hard-fought victory over Scotland, when things just looked out of sorts, Gaël Fickou stepped up to the plate for France in round two of the Six Nations. And it is that dependability that has made him such an important figure for les Bleus.
Believe it or not, Fickou made his Test debut against Scotland in 2013, when he was just 18 years and 355 days old. He has been around ever since and is still just out of his twenties. As a young pro his qualities were evident. After being released by his childhood club Toulon, he was snapped up by Toulouse and quickly dazzled on the top stage. Those in the know bought stock still earlier than all that. In 2012, after seeing him in an U20s shirt, then Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards said in , “I’ve seen the future and it runs, tackles, scores tries and is called Gaël Fickou.” Today, Fickou is Edwards’s defensive captain
