This is the story of two brothers, sorry, three, Bretons, whose dad loved football but did not dislike rugby. On the face of it, that is a long way from talking about a destiny in blue with France a year out from the World Cup in Australia for Gaël. And yet the story is on the move, and it is running very fast.

The “Lorient Mystery”: an incredible Breton destiny

Lorient, Vannes, Rennes, Toulon… Gaël, born in 2000, Gabriel three years later, one of them played in Fédérale 3, at Lorient. An incredible Breton destiny with some rare decisions along the way. “He had signed with us,” explains Jean-Noël Spitzer, then coach of Vannes in Pro D2, “but when Rugby Club Toulonnais approached him, I let him go.”

What came next is speed, a very football-minded dad who does not turn his nose up at rugby, brothers who got him involved and got involved themselves, and why not the example of Rouen-born Gabin Villière. And then? Sevens caps and team sheets at Rugby Club Toulonnais. Gaël Dréan is Bielle-Biarrey mark two, 37 kilometres per hour against 38 for the UBB arrow, a try with France on his first cap, a Lorient mystery running flat out.

From Fédérale 1 to the summit of the Top 14

Lorient, Plouzané, Rennes: he sent the try counters of his successive teams into meltdown: Rugby Ovalie Lorient, Plouzané, French Fédérale 1 champion with Rennes Étudiants Club Rugby in 2022. His reputation flooded Brittany and western France, Vannes signed him. But that reputation spilled over and Toulon came calling. Spitzer and Vannes released him to go and enjoy himself in the Top 14 and become an international.

With 15 matches and as many tries this season with RCT, he was called up by France a few days ago. A first cap and a first try for this new “Road Runner”, 37 km/h, almost as much as LBB.

Musical chairs before Scotland

Having earned his first cap with France against Italy, Gaël Dréan is not expected to be on the team sheet for the trip to Scotland, in round four of the Six Nations. In the game of musical chairs, he is the loser for the trip to face Scotland at the legendary Murrayfield. With Matthieu Jalibert back from injury, the Lorient native at RC Toulon will find himself back among the reserves. Jalibert’s presence at fly-half pushes Thomas Ramos back to full-back and shifts Théo Attissogbe onto his wing. Dréan is suffering here from competition with an undisputed starting pair, but his flight is far from over.