We left him on the shore of Lake Wanaka, with the southern summer on the wane and a promise that “the hardest part was still to come”. Six months after leaving, Eliott has done his sums: some fifty scrums pushed in an Upper Clutha shirt, a part-time job as a housekeeper, and a life shared with his partner on the other side of the world. The Rugby Club Baulois loosehead prop, who is also a bartender at Charlie’s Corner, is closing the New Zealand chapter and heading home to his native Loire-Atlantique. Before hanging up this “Down Under” series, he looks back one last time on the end of the journey — and on what awaits him at La Baule. Interview.

The flight home, via Dubai?

No, Singapore. Because when I booked the tickets there was a bit of uncertainty about the Middle East… They were the cheapest, mind, but I preferred going via Singapore to be on the safe side.

How many scrums did you push in New Zealand?

Hang on, let me not talk nonsense… One match, two matches, three, five matches… Let’s say fifty scrums, I reckon.

A standard “at least a strong Fédérale 3”

At what standard?

That’s a bit hard to say, because our team was very even, with a good level. In fact, I think we were in a part of New Zealand that isn’t the strongest, where there aren’t the most clubs. So there is still a big disparity between clubs, a bit like you can get back home in Fédérale 3, for example, where sometimes you’ll have strong teams in one league, and then teams of the same theoretical level but in a weaker league. The step up can be big. But intrinsically, I’d say at least a strong Fédérale 3.

The life of a “French housekeeper”

What is the life of a “French housekeeper” like?

It quickly becomes routine, the days look alike. But for us it was a part-time job, we had time to enjoy the town. As for the work, well, you learn gently, step by step anyway. How not to have the same expectations as in France, because these aren’t things we would have tried in France… You water down your wine and take what there is to take. We had a great team, our two bosses were British, they had the same profile as us. It was really nice. And we’re still glad to have finished, because the whole point was also to enjoy ourselves.

A genuine “overseas experience”?

Absolutely. You see, in the end, we’ll have stayed six months, and out of those six months we’ll have worked two-thirds of the time, near enough. It was rarely full-time, but in the end we’ll have worked two-thirds. And then when I get back it’ll be Charlie’s and off we go! A bit of quiet time on my return all the same, a month, I’ll settle back in, catch up with family and friends, and then back to work.

The return to La Baule

Back to rugby too?

Yeah. I’m going to stay at La Baule. At one point I did think about maybe joining a Fédérale 3 club, but in fact, between the work opportunities and the commitment it takes, it was simpler to stay at La Baule too. And it’s still my lifelong club. We’re going to try to rebuild, and that suits me.