Aaron Wainwright, footballer exiled in ovaly

1. SOFOOT.com
2. // Rugby World Cup
3. // Wales

Au Beyond his questionable mustache, Aaron Wainwright will be remembered for having been the one who twisted Sébastien Vahaamahina and the XV of France in this Japanese World Cup. However, long before being a punching bag and a great rugby player, the native of Newport dreamed of himself as Welsh Patrick Vieira. And without a selective Cardiff club, this beautiful baby of 1.88m and 105 kilos could have caused mayhem in the English leagues. Narrative.

By Mathieu Rollinger Modified 26 REACTIONSShow rightShow bottomFACEBOOKTWITTERAaron Wainwright, footballer exiled in ovalia More or less, Aaron Wainwright's program this Tuesday should have consisted of debriefing the setback of Newport County on the lawn of Colchester United in League Two (1-3). Instead, the Welshman is in Japan and must recover from a Rugby World Cup semi-final lost to South Africa (16-19). Despite this, the XV du Poireau flanker is, at 22, one of the revelations of the tournament: it was he in particular who was elected man of the match against France and who took advantage of the soapy hands of Guilhem Guirado to register the first Welsh try after a 50-meter run as inelegant as it was effective. " I got the ball back and don't remember much, except that I sprinted to the goal line ", he had soberly analyzed after the meeting. You know you are a rugbix when... But the general public will especially remember his face deformed by the elbow of Sébastien Vahaamahina, this blow of madness which will push the Blues towards the exit. " I was surprised that he was not knocked out, assured L'Équipe his coach at the Newport Dragons, Bernard Jackman. But he's tough, he stayed up. Another could have done more show. Translation: Wainwright did not make his footballer. However, only four years ago, he threw himself fully into rugby, definitively giving up on a career as a... footballer.

An idol named Patrick Vieira

For the current third row, this " singular route " therefore started with a round ball between his feet. With a certain talent since he joined the Cardiff academy, where he played as a defensive midfielder. A "box-to-box" with French references in mind: Patrick Vieira and Claude Makélélé. As a sign, he precisely meets the legend of Arsenal during a detection session for the under 16s organized by the Welsh Federation. Patrick Vieira was then completing his diplomas and was accompanied by David Ginola. “ I was really nervous, in awe of him, Wainwright said recently. I was young, I was about 14, I just tried to get the most out of it. “The years pass, but the tall blond with an already advantageous physique will not be able to find a place in the selection, nor to impose himself in Cardiff, where he ends up being ejected for a simple reason of insufficient level. in Newport, in a club a notch below and on the benches of the university. In his hometown, he then evolves with the U23 of the Exiles, in a disenchanted way. "We told Aaron there was an opportunity for him here, but his dad had no illusions about breaking into football," Newport U23 coach Danny Elliott told the Press Association. What happened to him in Cardiff had a huge impact on him. At the same time, Wainwright carries out other activities: studies, therefore, and rugby. “ He had plans to become a dentist and his father thought it was a good idea for Aaron to go to university and get his diplomas, continues Elliott. Rugby (which he has been practicing since the age of 11, N.D.L.R.) was put in the background. He loved it, but he didn't take it too seriously at the time. "If some coaches believe that he could have had his chance at the highest level, Aaron slammed the door of football at the age of 18, to push with much more success that of the neighbor rugby.

" He would have been able to do damage in a midfield ”

He started his new life first with the Whiteheads RFC before joining the Newport Dragons in October 2017. The following summer, he was already called up by coach Warren Gatland during a tour of Argentina and won his place in the Welsh XV. "That's when I realized that everything was going to get much more serious for me," he says. A rise facilitated by circumstances, such as the injury of Taulupe Faletau and the repositioning of Josh Navidi to inherit number 6, but also to exceptional physical abilities. Virgil Moutaud: "In Wales, you are highlighted" And if his scale saw him go from 85 to 104 kilos in eighteen months, to meet the requirements of professional rugby, he has not lost any certain characteristics. " No one realizes how fast he is. As much as some three-quarters, maybe more," commented Welsh defense coach Shaun Edwards. " I saw his try (against France) and I thought he could have done some damage in a midfield ", almost regrets Danny Elliott. This Friday,Aaron Wainwright will still have one last mission in Tokyo before returning home: to face the All Blacks on behalf of the small final. Obviously less breathless than a grand finale. But for a guy who dreamed of playing for the Gunners, failing so close to the goal has a certain consistency. Suggest a correction to our editors.