When it starts, we first think of a cheetah, swooping down on its prey. And then, after a few strides, the images freeze around him. Sekou Macalou seems to fly, waving his long arms here and there to repel attackers who invariably end up with their noses in the grass. “A fighter plane”, loose Thomas Lombard, the general manager of Stade Français when it comes to defining his player.
Sunday evening, in the silence of a Jean-Bouin stadium behind closed doors, the Parisian third line not only broke the sound barrier, it also pierced chests that were believed to be unbreakable. La Rochelle, the leader of the Top 14 has been shattered (35-13). Macalou, he hovered over the debates, scoring two tries in passing. Sometimes glued to the forwards, sometimes positioned among the three-quarters as a center or a winger, the athlete (1.96 m; 100 kg) presented the best profile of the modern player. “He is one of those athletes who can succeed in any discipline,” Lombard emphasizes. He has exceptional physical qualities. We do not discover it today. He is promised a bright future in blue. “
“He’s a sweet kid. When you talk to him, he is moved ”
At twenty-five years old, the child from Sarcelles, who came to rugby following his big brother Yacouba, then passed through the nursery of Massy (Pro D 2), before landing at the Stade Français, was indeed called in the contingent of Tricolores which will face Italy, last group match of the Autumn Nations Cup, in two weeks at the Stade de France. Before interesting Fabien Galthié, Sekou Macalou had already caught the eye of other coaches. His open field cavalcades had led Guy Novès to align him against Japan in November 2017. A draw (23-23), a bad memory, even if the Parisian had floated during the sinking.
He then accompanied Jacques Brunel to Scotland, in February 2018, without entering the field, but leaving with seven other “party animals” pinned by the local police on the evening of the defeat (32-26). “Sekou is a great guy,” said Fabien Galthié of him, who retained him as soon as he arrived in his larger group. He was stigmatized. But he’s a sweet kid. When you talk to him, he is moved. “
Injured at the start of the season, he is back at the gates of the XV of France. “Sekou does not like to express himself outside, he is discreet in the media, it is his choice, but inside, he is at ease and he blends in very well with the collective, specifies Thomas Lombard. He’s a boy who knows what he wants and especially what he doesn’t want. Gonzalo Quesada, the Stade Français coach who launched him into the Paris team during his first stint three years ago, gave him an ideal setting to express himself. Macalou, who is recovering from injury, wasted no time in making sparks there.
