Two continents, three clubs and a new language: Paul Willemse’s path to Test rugby
Former Bulls player is on the verge of being selected for France for the Six Nations opener against Wales
Paris — Two continents, three clubs and a new language. SA-born Paul Willemse has taken the long route to potentially making his debut for France in Friday’s Six Nations opener against Wales. Willemse arrived on French soil in 2014 as a 21-year-old a matter of weeks after losing a Currie Cup semifinal with the Blue Bulls, and little did he know five years later he would be days away from wearing an international blue shirt. The 2012 world champion with the Baby Boks headed to French outfit Grenoble the day after he married his childhood sweetheart. “The day after our marriage, we left for Grenoble. It was our honeymoon,” Willemse said. It all could have been very different. As the club’s former coach, Bernard Jackman, explained: the 2.01m giant was one of two options he was considering for the next campaign. “We had pretty much finished recruitment for the season and two days before the deadline Fabrice Landreau [sporting director] said to me the president had given us extra money f...
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