As a preliminary I asked him how his shoulder was and if he thought he would be playing at the weekend. He said that his shoulder was getting better and that he hoped to be playing on Saturday. His shoulder had felt sore during the match against Saracens and he had asked to be taken off. But I doubt that he expected to be back on the Stoop turf so quickly!



Lou: When did you start playing rugby?
LG: It was when I was junior school age. In France, junior school is between the ages on 10 and 12 years. Yes, when I was 12.

Lou: And where was that?
LG: My first club was a small club near Lyon.

Lou: And your first memory?
LG: Of rugby? In relation to my first feelings for this sport?

Lou: Yes.
LG: It was the camaraderie, friendship and all that. It was good. I like the atmosphere.

Lou: Are there any other members of your family who play?
LG: I have a younger brother who plays but at a lower level. He plays for a small club in L'Isere.

Lou: Before rugby became professional, what did you do?
LG: I worked with my father in his company and I looked after the commercial side of his business.
Lou: Before coming to Harlequins, you played for Bourgoin, Grenoble and Montferrand for how long?
LG: I played nine years for Bourgoin. I played one year at Nimes during the period at Bourgoin, three years at Grenoble and one year at Montferrand.
Lou: So you weren't at Montferrand when they played Harlequins?
LG: No, not at Montferrand, but I played against Quins when I was at Bourgoin in the 1998 European Cup. In 1998, I played opposite Jason. We changed roles. Jason played tighthead and me, for that match, I played loosehead. There you are, I have played opposite Jason.

Lou: Which one was your favourite club?
LG: My favourite period? I would say there were two. There was the time I was at Bourgoin which was good because we reached three finals in 1997. We got to the final of the French Cup, the final of the French Championship and the European Shield Final - the competition that Harlequins are playing in this season. We only won one cup which was the European Shield when we beat Castres in the final. Then, the first year that I was at Grenoble where we had a very good season. We got to the semi-final of the French Championship. It was a good memory.

Lou: You have been in London for several months now, have you settled in OK?
LG: Settled in, yes. I‘m getting on OK.

Lou: And your familly?
LG: Yes. My partner lives here but is not here at the moment as she has undergone surgery on her back following a car accident two years ago. Otherwise she is here. My 8 year old daughter lives in France with my previous partner. She comes over for the holidays.
Lou: And any problems with the language?
LG: Yes, that's the most difficult for me especially as I don't know a lot of expressions.

Lou: But you make yourself understood?
LG: Yes. I manage to, but seeing as I don't have the vocabulary to express myself, it's true that I tend to be a bit aside from the other players. But that's normal.

Lou: But there are players who speak French? ......like Nathan Williams?
LG: No, no, no, no (with a little laugh)
Lou: But he lived in France...
LG: Yes but he doesn't speak French. At the club Nick Greenstock speaks French a bit, Mark Evans does too and also Alex Codling, but apart from that no-one. It's not easy but we get by.

Lou: Is living in London like what you expected?
LG: Yes, in the way that it is a lively city. There are lots and lots of people here. But it is a city that I like.

Lou: Do you find the time to go to the centre?
LG: Yes we went a lot at the beginning. However, I haven't been for a while now but I like going there, there are lots things to do and see.

Lou: ...you will be going there tomorrow night (Wednesday night)....
LG: Yes that's right. But I don't know exactly where we are going.......

Lou: Why did you want to come to England?
LG: Well, it happened quite simply last year when I was at Montferrand. I wasn't sure whether I would be staying there and my agent asked me whether playing abroad would interest me, and whether England appealed to me. So I said yes, we'd have to see if there was a good club interested and if so yes and it happened like that. Mark was looking for a prop and it happened quite quickly. They were very interested and me too because of London's proximity to France and that appealed to me. I didn't really want to go and play somewhere like Leicester, I would have thought about it a lot more than I did, because even though London is far, it is far easier to get back to France from London. That's what's good about it.

Lou: A similar question really, but why did you chose Harlequins?
LG: It's true that there were other English clubs who had contacted me but I chose Harlequins because, on one hand, it was a club that I knew, having played against them, and on the other, I have friends who have previously played for Quins - Thierry Lacroix, Laurent Cabannes, Laurent Beneseche too, who I know well, and Laurent Benigoit (apologies for the spelling!) who I played with at Bourgoin and as they played for Harlequins I asked them for advice. They told me that it was a good, well structured club and everything. And it‘s true. So far, I am not disappointed. And also, Mark Evans made a good impression.
Lou: He does that to everybody...... :-)
LG: Yes, but for me, he made a good impression which has been proved. He is someone who knows what he is saying, and knows what he is doing.

Lou: So it was the right choice...
LG: Yes, it was the right choice.

Lou: You can‘t say otherwise...
LG: No, no, for the moment I can't say otherwise.

Lou: What do you like about Harlequins?
LG: In respect to the team, the players or everything/?

Lou: Everything....
LG: I like the effervescence that surrounds the club despite being close to big football clubs, etc. It is true that the stadium is filled for each match. There is a good crowd. The people who work at the club are doing a hell of a job in marketing, etc. I think that's really good. There is an infatuation with the club. You have a feeling that there is something about this club. You don't just play.

Lou: What do you think of the Stoop?
LG: What the Stadium? The main stand with the clubhouse is really excellent. Then there is traditional side of the stadium - the old traditional English club with its old changing rooms but where at the same time you get a feeling for the history and the mythical side of the club and it does something to you.

Lou: What do you think of Aldershot?
LG: It is a very good place for the team to train. All the necessary facilities that are vital for the training of a Premiership team are there. However, the fact that it isn't that close to the stadium is a bit of a shame, but everything that we have at our disposal there is very good.

Lou: And what do you think of the training?
LG: Well, I like it. It's a little different than in France. There are some things that are the same and others that are different. What I especially appreciate is the seriousness in which the guys take training. When they are at training, they are there to train. Sometimes in France, with our Latin streak, we tend to play around a little.

Lou: Yes, there have been players who have played in France, who have said it is not the same...
LG: It's not the same. Here, it is "tac", "tac", "tac" (just had to leave that in!), which is good. I like that side of it.

Lou: In your opinion, how have we played so far this season?
LG: How have we played? I would say that after a difficult start to the season where we lost three matches at home, played against teams who are now at the top of the table, it's a shame that, through injury, we didn't have everybody available from the start of the season which would have enabled us to counter these good sides. But I feel that the more we play, the more the team is conscious of its capabilities and the more we are able to find our way, to produce a game, and play well. We are only missing an away result, which we haven't succeeded in getting since the start of the season.

Lou: How can the team improve?
LG: Improve? Well, there are a few ways. To start with, there is the daily work. If everyone improves on their own personal performances, that would push the team towards the top. After that, luck plays a part. When we lost against the Sharks (Sale that is) we were unlucky. With a little bit of luck, we could have won. The same goes with the Saracens away match. We had a terrible first half but in the second half we could have come away with a win. Again, we weren't lucky.

Lou: Are you happy with your game?
LG: I have started to play better. The start of the season was difficult. I had to get used to a different style of game, find my way.

Lou: How can you improve?
LG: Improving my English would be a start! Physically I can always improve.

Lou: What's it like to play with players like Jason Leonard and Keith Wood?
LG: It's a plus. They bring a lot to the club. They have a lot of experience.
Lou: Do you understand Jason?
LG: Yes I manage to. I understand him the most, which surprises people because apparently he can't speak English either!

Lou: Was he a good captain?
LG: Yes. He is someone you look up to and he manages people well.

Lou: Our next opponents in Europe are Stade Francais, is it a match Quins can win?
LG: It is going to be very difficult, but we must win at home if we are going to give ourselves a chance in Paris. We are going to have to up our game. It might also depend on their fixtures in the French Championship, etc., whether Europe is a priority for them this year.
Lou: What are Stade Francais' strengths?
LG: Their strengths are that they have strong forwards, a very good, strong scrum and then they have good centres who are playing very well and are well known.
Lou: And their weaknesses?
LG: Hah, their weaknesses? I don't know. I haven't seen their last match but they have had a good start to the season but, according to friends in France who have played against them, they have won certain games by having a very good defence and a very good kicker - Dominguez - but in some games they have not had a really exceptional game. Their base is a good scrum, a good defence and a good kicker.

Lou: And where will the match be won? In the scrum....
LG: Yes exactly. The forwards are going to have to perform very well, especially in the scrum because, in France, this is an area which is a much more important part of the game than in England so we are going to have to be very good and then our defence must be excellent and then we have to find their weaknesses in their defensive system.

Lou: You seem to always be one of the last players who come off the pitch after a match, is it important to mix with the supporters?
LG: I did the same in France. I respect the people who come to the stadium. I believe it is only normal to give those who come to the match, even if it is only for the kids, an autograph or a shake of the hand. For me personally, it is a way to meet people who are not from the same country as me and it enables me to say a few words. It is important to know if people appreciate us as players. Yes that's important.

Lou: What role do supporters play in a victory?
LG: Good supporters are those who get behind the team when they are in difficulty and also when everything is going OK, but getting behind the team when they are down, gives you the extra desire to play even better. Yes, they are very important. A good crowd who shouts and eggs you on is important.

Lou: You come from a country where the supporters are very vocal, what do you think of the atmosphere at the Stoop?
LG: It is a very knowledgeable crowd, well I think it is a very knowledgeable crowd from the way they appreciate the different phases of game that we produce. I have the feeling that, how can I say it, in France rugby is more popular, not popular in the number but more popular by the people. Here, what with the club's history and the "gentlemen" and all that, they might be less expressive than in France but I don't think they are less knowledgeable, the opposite.

Lou: Do you have access to the Internet?
LG: Yes of course.

Lou: Have you had a look at the two Quins websites?
LG: Yes, I have had a look.

Lou: And what do you think?
LG: I think it's very good. What I like on the official site is the fact that each player has a photo with their name, the different clubs they have played for, how many times they have played and all that, that's very good. And it's good for my friends in France too who visit the site looking for information.

Lou: Do you take note of the remarks from supporters?
LG: Well, at the moment I am just trying to understand them! If someone came to me to ask what did I think of this or that, then I would look but right now I am trying to produce the best game I possibly can, and then it's up to the coaches to tell me if there is anything wrong.

Lou: What are the differences between the French and English league? Is there another system?
LG: Yes, it is not the same. The English and French Unions are completely different because it is not the same system. Here the Union has a lot of power and has a lot of means to enable it to, how can I say, promote its sport and is financially a very important support for the clubs contrary to France. In France it is much more difficult for the French Union because in the sense that, for example, here the Stadium belongs to the Union, all money coming in is for the Union, whereas in France it is a lot more complicated. They are still following the old 1901 Laws! It is very complicated in France and the French Union does not have as many means as the RFU.

Lou: But you get by?
LG: Yes, we get by, but in my opinion, it is for this reason that the clubs here are a bit more professional than in France because French clubs have to administer themselves completely. However, I believe this year, with the World Cup, the French Union is going to make an effort financially towards clubs with International players. Other than that we manage. It is because of this that the Championship is a lot harder, much closer because every match is life or death. I don't get the impression that in England the clubs have the same financial problems, or rather that they don't have as many problems.

Lou: What are your best rugby memories?
LG: Over all my career? Oh, there are many. It has to be my first year with Grenoble because we had something very special as a group and as a team. The bond we had was something strong. On the sports field, there have been many other good moments as I have previously mentioned, but the first season at Grenoble was one of the best. However, I hope that there will be plenty more over the next two years!

Lou: And your worst rugby memory?
LG: My worst memory is the final of the French Championship that we lost against Toulouse in 1997 at Parc des Princes. We lost this final 12-9 I think, a low scoring match. That's one of my worst memories.

Lou: Who have you enjoyed playing with?
LG: I have had the opportunity to play with some very good players. When I was at Bourgoin, I played with Cecillon - Marc Cecillon - who played in the back row for France and is a well-known person in French rugby. I've rubbed shoulders with some good players either in my team, or as opponents. Last year, at Montferrand, we had a team with plenty of internationals, which was good.
Lou: Is there any other country that you would have like to play in?
LG: Another country apart from France or England?

Lou: Yes. If you had had the chance?
LG: I like France and England a lot. If I was younger, and if the opportunity had arisen, I would probably have liked to go to New Zealand, or somewhere like that. I would have gone there for the mythical side of rugby over there. Yeah, that would have been something that could have interested me. Or Australia, ...or the southern hemisphere.

Lou: What do you want to do when you stop playing rugby?
LG: I will go back to work for my father in about two years - two or maybe three years.

Lou: Outside of rugby, what do you like doing?
LG: I like going for walks, shopping. I like going to the mountains in France and I like skiing.

Lou: Can I ask you how you got your scar?
LG: Ah, well that's a secret....

Lou: Oh yes?
LG: No, not really.

Lou: Did you do it playing rugby?
LG: No. I have other cuts from rugby but not that one. That one came from a car accident when I was 11 years old.

Lou: Should Luke Sheriff get his hair cut?
LG: (a lot of laughing now) It would definitely be interesting to see him with short hair. Yes, that wouldn't be a bad idea.
Lou: And what do you think of Tani Fuga's new hair style?
LG: I think it's very original for a hooker!

Lou: Have you seen the trousers that some supporters wear?
LG: Yes.

Lou: Alex Codling has said that he would wear these trousers for charity, would you? (Be careful, you must be honest because if you say yes, you must do it!)
LG: I don't know. If it was for a particular event yes, but if it was only to go walking down a street in London on my own, no definitely not.
Lou: No, it would only be at the Stoop...
LG: Why not. But I prefer the jester hat. But you'll just have to wait and see!

Lou: Do you have a nickname?
LG: In France, my friends call me "la Gomme", which is a play in my last name. In England, I often hear "Big Man".

Lou: Who has the most embarrassing nickname in the team?
LG: I don't know. I don't know their nicknames.
Lou: For those who are going to Paris, where would be a good place to go (I don't mean places like the Eiffel Tower, etc)?
LG: Rue de la Soif is a good place. There are lots of things to do there.

And with that I left him. However, not without asking the obvious question of who is going to win the match between England and France! "We shall see" was his reply.
I would like to thank Laurent for agreeing to do this interview! And thanks to Scotty for setting it all up.

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