‘A funny guy ... I feel like he is only going to get better’ – Toulouse’s Emmanuel Meafou praises Josh Brennan

An Australian, though born in New Zealand to Samoan parents, Emmanuel Meafou seemed already to have the world at his feet, or a goodly proportion of its southern hemisphere at least.

But, as much as it might seem such a colossal presence would take the shortest route possible, he hasn’t always immediately decided on opting for the straightest road in life.

Around six years ago, when he had turned 20, he nearly quit the sport altogether.

After all, it hadn’t been his first love. He had played rugby league mostly in Sydney before switching codes.

But one day, he went home and never went back. He was, as he recalls, content to do nothing.

Out of the blue, an NFL punt in Florida posited an entirely different direction with an oval ball.

Days before his flight, another introduction landed, this time from Toulouse. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“When you think of French rugby, you just think ‘pick and go, scrums, nitty-gritty stuff’,” says the formidable lock, all 6ft 8in and 23 stone of him.

“But when I came here, I found out it’s nothing like that. The DNA of the game and Toulouse in general, they want to play and they want to keep the ball alive.”

He is at once creative and destructive.

When he arrived in France, he almost broke the scales at 25 stone; the Top 14 is pacier than it once was and his game-time was restricted, as was his diet.

He is the undeniable first-choice now and, despite his lineage, a naturalised citizen and France international; he and his wife Jada welcomed their first child on Christmas Day.

Toulouse have always had an expert eye on overseas recruits, who not merely require ability but also an aptitude to become as one with the club.

Meafou references English and Scottish exiles Jack Willis and Blair Kinghorn, but also a man who may not be in the 23 but whose name has resonated throughout the club for two decades.

“Trevor Brennan is a good man, we have a good relationship with him,” he says of the one-time Leinster man who won two European Cups here and whose son Josh, also a lock, has featured during this season’s run.

“Josh is a funny guy. He is a young guy, but you can already sense the leadership qualities in his game, in his whole aura around the team.

“He has only just started and he has already got so many games under his belt and I feel like he is only going to get better with more game-time.”

Although Meafou was injured for spring’s meeting with Ireland, Leinster fans will recall him scoring a try in last year’s semi-final.

In Europe this year, he has been an imperious presence; our favourite moment was the sight of him being assailed on all sides by Harlequins players in the semi-final, as a telescopic arm, and hands as big as shovels, quested the offload that would set his side on their way.

He has made a mightily impressive 16 offloads in the competition, but the 71 tackles is an equally impressive number; he is both creator and destroyer.

“For me, the attacking is definitely something I love, but I’ve grown to like the defence a lot more now.

“But it’s ball in hand. I love that, whether in the contact or offloads and passes. I really enjoy that stuff.

“And it suits me well in Toulouse, they love that here and get everyone around it. I want to get on the ball as much as I can and then get a good outcome for the team.

“When there’s a loss or bad game –even if we do win – it’s expected we win and win convincingly. That’s always the bar, and we set it high.

“We don’t aim for anything lower than a win, and a good win. We know what we’re capable of, and the guys aim high.

“As for this weekend, even though our success rate against Leinster hasn’t been good, we’re a different team now and we keep getting better.

“When you come here, everyone wants to win, but here it’s definitely an expectation.

“They’re historically successful and want to keep it that way.”

A gentle giant awaiting another great leap forward.

Experience has shown him he usually gets to where he wants to go.