Playing petanque with Leeds United players is not Leeds Rhinos prop Mickael Goudemand’s usual preparation for a “big fight” against Catalans.
But the tough France forward can turn his hand - literally - to anything. He and Rhinos team-mate Justin Sangare met up with their fellow countrymen Georginio Rutter and Illan Meslier at United’s training ground yesterday. A press opportunity around their French connection in the city led to them facing each other in the traditional boules game - and not surprisingly things got competitive.
The Rhinos duo edged a 5-4 thriller and Goudemand admitted: “I come from the south [of France] so, honestly, I’d have been very angry if I’d lost. Petanque is big there. I used to play after school every day with my father. But it was very funny taking on those two boys.
“I used to watch them on the TV back home when they signed for United. And now for me to be in Leeds and know there’s two French players leading the way in football so close by, it’s good.”
While keeper Meslier and star striker Rutter, both France Under 21s internationals, bid to take United a step closer to Premier League promotion at Huddersfield in Saturday lunchtime, Rhinos face Catalans a couple of hours later with both contests televised live by Sky Sports. Predictably, Goudemand has had his eye on the Headingley fixture ever since swapping clubs in the off-season.
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He played 99 games for the Dragons, winning a Challenge Cup and reaching two Grand Finals in the last three years. The 27-year-old is expecting his fearsome former pack colleagues to fire into him on Saturday. But who’s the most likely to try and knock him off his feet?
French connection: Leeds Rhinos players Justin Sangere (far right) and Mickael Goudemand (far left) with Leeds United players Illan Meslier and Georginio Rutter flying the French flag ahead of a big day of Sky Sports action (MATTHEW MERRICK) (MATTHEW_MERRICK_PHOTOGRAPHY)He smiled: “I think everyone. I’ve spoken a lot with Justin [Sangare] and I’ve said I’m sure they’ll want to smash us both. “But at the same time we both want to smash them. There’s going to be a big fight! When I saw the calendar I looked at when we’d be playing the Dragons. I think it’s the perfect time to play them.
“They have a strong team. We need to get the win because we have one win, one loss so far. For me it will be a bit weird because I played six years in Perpignan. But I am happy. I’m a bit anxious. But I am very happy.”
And did the United boys know anything about rugby league? Goudemand, who supports Olympique Marseille, said: “They follow a team near where they are from [in Brittany] but it’s union so we were explaining the rules to them!”
Leeds Rhinos' Mickael Goudemand (left) takes on Hull KR's Jai Whitbread during their recent Betfred Super League match (PA)United’s Elland Road stages Magic Weekend on August 17/18 and Goudemand hopes to follow the football theme by getting back to Old Trafford and finally winning a Grand Final. Catalans lost to Wigan in October but he said: “We [Leeds] have a very strong squad, very young with very good players - and now I just want to win the trophies. I’m sure with the squad we have we can get one.”
He is “proud” that along with ex-Toulouse prop Sangare they became Leeds’ first-ever French starting front-row combination in the opening night win over Salford. They fell 22-12 at Hull KR last week while last year’s beaten Grand Finalists have won two from two. Goudemand added: “We need to have responsibility to start the game very well and start physically as well. That’s our aim.”
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