'Who is that guy?': French legend backs Kalvin Gourgues after blood-clot scare

Former French star Thomas Castaignede believes Kalvin Gourgues, the young Toulouse centre whose career was saved by unique surgery, has the “magic” to help power France to Six Nations glory.

The 20-year-old Gourgues underwent surgery last year to replace an artery in his foot with one taken from his thigh to solve a blood-clotting problem that could have seen his leg amputated without specialist surgical intervention.

Gourgues told L’Équipe: “It was not easy (for my parents) to see their only son having surgery. My foot was cold, it was really very white, like an inanimate limb. They were much more afraid than me, especially when I was told that in a few days, I could have ended up one-legged. If the first time, the clot had really blocked my artery entirely, it was over for my left leg. But now I am monitored, I do an angioscan every month.”

Thankfully, Gourgues has come through that worrying time and is delivering the kind of performances that Castaignede, a mercurial talent for France, Castres, Toulouse and Saracens, first saw when the centre was playing rugby in Toulouse at 10 years old.

Even at that age, Castaignede recognised a spark of genius and told RugbyPass that players like Gourgues will deliver the kind of classic French attacking rugby that fans around the world love to see. He said: “The French spirit is still there and when he is on the field he is going to create some magic.

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“From the first time I saw him I said ‘Wow’, who is that guy? I was asking the Toulouse staff all the time when he is going to play for the senior team because I expected him to break through quickly but he was injured for a long time.

“He will have something to show on the field that will be different (in the Six Nations). When you have speed and technique and look to where you want to bring the ball then you understand everything.

“At the moment he does not have any injuries and as a young player you don’t think about what other people say and you just want to create. He is in the right time to give his best and he is ready to play at the highest level.”

Castaignede saw confirmation of this belief when Gourgues made his debut in the November victory over Australia, where he sliced through the Wallaby defence with impressive pace and vision and then delivered the perfect long pass to allow Louis Bielle-Biarrey to score.

It was the kind of individual skill that Toulouse fans have been enjoying ever since the teenager broke through and now, at 20 years old, he is part of a French Six Nations squad that has a host of young backs desperate to be part of the 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign in Australia.

Finding the right combination to deliver the style of rugby to satisfy head coach Fabien Galthie and the demanding French rugby public is vital, particularly with Ireland turning up at the Stade de France on February 5 for what will be a titanic opening battle for the reigning champions.

Do France stick with a big pack and the bludgeon or switch to the rapier to make the most of their exciting backs? By dropping, for now, Damian Penaud and Gael Fikou, Galthie has removed experience from the squad, putting more pressure on captain Antoine Dupont to provide the leadership and tactical direction.

Who will be his half-back partner is an ongoing debate and with Romain N’tamack out, it seems certain that Matthieu Jalibert, of Bordeaux Begles, will get the chance to claim the No 10 position.

Castaignede offered the same kind of individual skills that lit up a match during his career and admires Jalibert’s skill set. He said: “There is still the option to play Thomas Ramos or even Dupont (at No. 10) but to be honest, with the quality of his play this season it would be very difficult not to play Jalibert.

“But what kind of game does France want to play in the Six Nations? Jalibert has improved a lot and critics have been hard on him in the past but he is such a great player. It is hard to say if I see some of myself in his play, but I do know that when he is playing I love to watch the game.

“He knows how to attack the line and take the responsibility but also how to get his teammates into the match. There are a number of Bordeaux players in the squad and we have seen them perform well in the Champions Cup.

“If we play the backline with Jalibert then we have more ball in hand and are more dangerous for the opposition. With the quality of the players in this squad I really think we can make it. We are not scared about any opposition.”

A Thursday start against Ireland is an unusual opening match for the tournament, but Castaignede is unconcerned, adding: “The players just want to get started and earlier in the week is not a problem. It is so exciting and Ireland we know have a team that is getting older but they are always dangerous.

“They have young guys coming through but I am quite confident.”