MHR Coaches Series, 1/5: Benoît Paillaugue, the obvious choice of Joan Caudullo’s staff

It was written, but not so soon. Benoît Paillaugue was the easiest to convince for Joan Caudullo. Despite a little experience of one year with the hopefuls, the scrum-half did not hesitate, or very little, to embark on the adventure. And so far, everything is going well.

Career, loyalty, size, trajectory, character… Everything is a little out of the ordinary with Benoît Paillaugue. And his situation, for a few months, is no exception to the rule. From the senior player close to most of the players, who has experienced everything at the club, used to being the spokesperson for the locker room for thirteen years, the former scrum-half has had to change. Not everything, obviously, but a little bit all the same. His new prerogatives as attack boss demand it.

“I'm very good friends with Benoît. But since the start of the season, we've been passing each other in the corridors without talking much. That doesn't mean we don't like each other anymore. But we have to keep our distance. We have to keep this respect for the hierarchy”, says Enzo Forletta, the Montpellier pillar.

As he has always done, “La Paille” had to and knew how to adapt. “That's his great quality”, acknowledges his childhood friend, Martin Merling, son of Vincent, the president of La Rochelle. A practical chameleon profile in this environment, which he has managed to grasp despite his powerful temperament and by remaining 100% natural.

“He always tells you what he thinks, without going too far”

“Benoît is THE complete guy. He's been paying attention to his image for 15 years. He's very much in control, even if he could be instinctive on the field. He's not someone you'll see wasted at 3am throwing up in the gutters. Whether it's in La Rochelle or Montpellier. And he always tells you what he thinks but without going too far”, describes Martin, former third row of Niort and teammate of Paillaugue in La Rochelle at the rugby school.

Louis Picamoles, very close to the player who played for the Stade Français Espoirs, shares this vision: “He's very far from being the most excessive I've played with. He knows when he can mess around, when he can't. He knows when he needs to unwind. He doesn't let himself get carried away. Above all, he likes to spend time with people he likes.”

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Benoît Paillaugue arrived in 2009 at the MHR as a joker. Midi Libre – MAX BERULLIER

His character ? Let's get back to it, anyway. It's often the personality trait that comes up first when his name is mentioned. In a sport where teasing is a religion, it's better not to be touchy. From his size far from stereotypes (1.72m), the 37-year-old boy has made it a strength. “He has always been hot-blooded. Sometimes, the little ones compensate with hyper-aggressiveness. We often got him hooked up with that, but he always stayed himself. Yes, he lost it, but it was when he had to. He also knew how to get his message across calmly and seriously”, Picamoles explains.

“He has built up a great mental strength”

“He has a temperament, you shouldn't step on his toes. Sometimes, I preferred to let him win to have peace (laughs). Even though he is not tall, he has built up a great mental strength. Then with a father rugby player and a basketball player mother, he became a born competitor”, adds Martin Merling.

A cocktail of elements, sprinkled with a taste for strategy and natural leadership, and the prospect of becoming a coach became logical. He has the marrow. The switch from player to coach happened quickly. It was anticipated. But coaching the MHR, that was early. The opportunity is great, but risky, especially in a club that has been drifting for a year.

“I gave him my opinion. But I could have told him what I wanted, in any case, he would have gone for it. He has the club in his skin. And he gets on really well with the staff, that played a role”, confides Picamoles. A love for the jersey, an expertise of the Hérault club and an aura that were obvious to Caudullo, who always confided that he would not have taken the reins of the sports without the former scrum-half.

Behind Fulgence Ouedraogo, he is undoubtedly the most emblematic of Montpellier Hérault Rugby. Exactly what the manager wanted.

Bio express

Né le November 17, 1987 à La Rochelle (37 years old).
Former position: scrum half, or opening half.
Course : rugby school and cadet years at La Rochelle. He left for Paris at the age of 16 and joined the junior and hopeful teams of Stade Français. He arrived at Montpellier as a medical joker during the 2008/2009 season.
Clubs: Stade Français (2007-2008), Auch (2008), Montpellier (2009-2022), Toulon (2022-2023 ), Montpellier (start of season 2023-2024).
Palmarès : Top 14 (2022), Challenge (2016, 2021, 2023).
Coach of the MHR hopefuls (2023-2024).
Coach of Montpellier's attack since July 2024.

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