Kevin Gourdon
T he ver satile back- r ow is an inf uential f igure at L a Rochelle
JONO GIBBES knows a thing or two about what makes a handy loose forward and La Rochelle’s director of rugby says Kevin Gourdon is up there with the best of them.
In his playing career, Gibbes wore the No 6 jersey for Waikato, the Chiefs and the Maori All Blacks, and with coaching stints at Leinster, Ulster and Clermont he has encountered some of the best back-rows in the business. Few have stayed as loyal to a club as 30-year-old Gourdon, now in his ninth year at La Rochelle. He arrived from Clermont in 2012, with whom he won two Academy championships, and is contracted until 2022. He’s become a cult hero among the raucous La Rochelle fans.
“He’s coming up to 200 matches and he brings a genuine pride in performing here,” says Gibbes. “His love for the club is infectious and the fans and the squad can see he’s an authentic guy who is fully committed to making La Rochelle successful.”
Gibbes describes Gourdon as “quiet and laid-back” and a model pro. “He’s part of our leadership group and we use him as a captain three or four times a season. He always steps up and drives the guys on.”
Quiet he may be, but when Gourdon does speak he chooses his words carefully and everyone listens.
He’s had his ups and downs. He won the first of his 19 France caps against Argentina in 2016 during the turbulent and brief reign of Guy Novès; for a while he was a regular, even when Jacques Brunel took over in 2018, but by the end of that year he was jettisoned and he hasn’t played a Test since.
Gourdon admitted that he lost his appetite for the game in 2019 but it’s back now, his competitive instincts sharpened by the emergence at La Rochelle of two young flankers in Paul Boudehent, 21, and 19-year-old Matthias Haddad. “Paul is trying to take Kevin’s spot and that is the environment we have in the squad,” says Gibbes. “But they all help each other because ultimately it’s a back-row unit; they want to perform and have pride in that unit.
“Kevin is influential in creating a comfortable environment for the younger guys off the field, so they can sit down, have a coffee, play some cards and talk.”
Gibbes sees something of the Kiwi in Gourdon, not just in build but how he plays. “He’s a natural. Some coaches talk of ‘special athletes’ but for me Kevin is a really good rugby player. He’s an instinctive player, with a good skill-set and an ability to sniff out an opportunity.
“Kevin plays quite high in the contact, and he has good feet, so he’s able to keep the ball alive after contact. If you look at him physically (6ft 1in and 16st), he’s not that imposing for a back-rower, but he wins a hell of a lot of collisions because of his timing onto the ball. He charges into space late, and his footwork into contact, his ability to win a weak shoulder in a small amount of space, means he can keep the ball going.”
With La Rochelle playing Bath and Edinburgh in the Champions Cup this month, Gibbes knows that a player like Gourdon is priceless. He’s reliable and durable, and highly versatile. This season he’s played across the back row at six, seven and eight.
“No matter where he plays I know he’s going to turn up. You need that in a long calendar because as a coach you don’t want a team that dips too low or peaks too high, you’re after a more natural undulation throughout the season.
That comes with having consistent performers and Kevin is in that category.”
Gourdon is not just a club hero, he’s a coach’s dream, a player that makes life easier. “For me,” says Gibbes, “if you want to model a game on a good player, watch Kevin and see how he plays.”
“He’s a natural. He’s an instinctive player, with an ability to sniff out an opportunity”