Gaël Dréan lined up with the starters at Toulon’s team run on Tuesday, ahead of Saturday’s home game against Stade Français in round 9 of the Top 14.
Seven hours of surgery
The 26-year-old wing underwent a seven-hour operation on June 1 for a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital defect that had thickened his ventricle and aorta. His last game was on May 16, in the Top 14.
Before the trip to Perpignan, Toulon defence coach Cédric Béal summed it up: “When he feels ready, he will have the green light to play. All the signs are good.” Last Saturday at Aimé-Giral, a 25-24 win, Dréan was the kicking tee carrier for Melvyn Jaminet.
19 tries in 23 games
Last season he scored 10 tries in 15 Top 14 games and 8 in 7 European games, all as a starter. He also won his only France cap in February, against Italy, scoring a try.
Blog RCT still reported on Tuesday evening that he would not play on Saturday, before reversing that on Wednesday. Toulon have won five games in a row in all competitions.
Key figures
19 tries for Dréan in 23 games last season
7 h of surgery on June 1
May 16 date of his last game
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