Barely 19 years old and already a starter in the French team. After being a substitute in the two previous matches, Posolo Tuilagi will be present from the kick-off of the France-Italy match, Sunday February 25 (live on France 2 at 4 p.m.), played in Lille as part of the 3rd day Six Nations Tournament.
In the absence of Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou, injured, and Paul Willemse, suspended, who were initially the first choices of coach Fabien Galthié, this young second row with impressive measurements – he measures 1.92 m and weighs 146 kg – quickly made a place for himself with the Blues.
► A dynasty originating from the Samoa Islands
Posolo Tuilagi was born on July 28, 2004 in Samoa, an island state in the South Pacific with a strong rugby tradition. He himself comes from a famous rugby family. His father Henry Tuilagi, a third row with an equally imposing size, was a Samoan international and had a career in Europe (Parma, Leicester and Perpignan).
Five of his uncles also shone on the pitch, including Manu Tuilagi, the youngest, who wore the England XV jersey 59 times and is still active. This three-quarter center was recalled to the English group in February to prepare for the match against Scotland, without ultimately being selected for the match.
► A talent trained in Perpignan
Posolo Tuilagi arrived in Perpignan as a child, in the wake of his father Henry who played for the Catalan club from 2007 to 2015. He signed his first license in 2010 at USA Perpignan, did all his training there and plays there always.
He who was initially a pillar made his professional debut as a second line with Usap during the 2022-2023 season and became an indisputable starter in his position.
This long presence in the Pyrénées-Orientales allowed him to be selected with the XV of France, even if he does not yet have a French passport. According to international regulations, a player is in fact “eligible” to represent a national team “if he himself, his parents or grandparents were born in the country concerned, or if he has resided in this country for sixty consecutive months”.
► A sacred player with the Bleuets
Before discovering Fabien Galthié’s Bleus, Posolo Tuilagi wreaked havoc with the Bleuets, the French under-20 team. Nicknamed “Moto”, he played in the Six Nations Tournament and the World Cup in his age category in 2023.
After missing the start of the World Cup organized in Japan due to a visa problem, the colossus was one of the great architects of the title won by the young French people. He notably scored two tries during the clash against the New Zealand Baby Blacks. Posolo Tuilagi then left his mark with qualities that he continues to display at the next level: power, but also his ability to move and his skill with the ball in hand. “Posolo is surprising, and at the same time, when you know him, he is no longer so surprising,” commented the Blues attack coach, Patrick Arlettaz, who knew him as manager of Perpignan.
