Louis Bielle-Biarrey is redefining ‘rugby speed’ and taking Six Nations by storm


Louis Bielle-Biarrey is redefining ‘rugby speed’ and taking Six Nations by storm

Charles Richardson Rugby Reporter, at the Aviva Stadium 09 March 2025 10:19am GMT The red scrum cap of Louis Bielle-Biarrey is not quite at “iconic” levels but its distinctiveness means that the French wing stands out more than most on a rugby field. Not that the 21-year-old needs a leg up in that regard; Bielle-Biarrey’s two tries at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday – taking his season tally to 23 – mean France are now in the driving seat for a second Six Nations title in four years. Scrum cap or not, the world is acutely aware of the young wing’s talents. Bielle-Biarrey’s strike rate this season is frightening, but as Ireland found out on Saturday, the Bordeaux-Begles bullet train is far more than an out-and-out speedster or an out-and-out finisher. When one assesses Bielle-Biarrey’s defensive cross-field kick in the first half – one of the most audacious bits of skill in Six Nations history (watch video below) – or the wonder try he scored at a seminal moment in the match, to reduce his talents simply to speed or finishing would be reductive. It's okay that I have to google his name every time I post about him. But Louis Bielle-Biarrey is just a freak. This is well and truly one of , if not the best clearances in rugby history. AFL would be proud of their skills 😏#AFL #SixNationsRugby #IREFRA #6Nations pic.twitter.com/FT8b0x2Yw9 — Chalyn.Rugby (@ChalynRugby) March 8, 2025 The acceleration of a McMurtry Speirling racing car – Bielle-Biarrey was reportedly clocked at almost 35kmh in scoring against New Zealand in November – is only the start. It is Bielle-Biarrey’s instinct and anticipation which are just as notable. Without those, the speed is redundant. As those at Bordeaux who coach him say, their prodigious wing is almost redefining “rugby quickness”. “There are lots of very quick people in the world but not all of them can translate that into being a world-class rugby player,” says Noel McNamara, Bordeaux’s attack coach. “Louis is certainly on the way to being exactly that.