Chess fanatic Damian Penaud is poised to turn into the king of French try-scorers and he might even cross the good Serge Blanco’s document at Twickenham – a prospect which received’t faze him within the slightest.

Bordeaux’s deadly finisher doesn’t really feel stress. He can occupy his thoughts with non-rugby issues, then flick a swap to enter match mode. Having recovered from the toe damage which meant he missed the Six Nations opener towards Wales in Paris – which France received 43-0 – the 28-year-old has England in his sights once more. If Steve Borthwick’s facet assume they’ll unsettle him on Saturday, they could be sorely mistaken.

For many gamers, a beginning, starring function in Le Crunch, in entrance of 82,000 spectators and thousands and thousands of TV viewers, would induce pre-match pressure, however Penaud is completely different. His former Clermont Auvergne team-mate and England full-back Nick Abendanon defined, telling Mail Sport: ‘Damian is an fascinating character.

‘He’ll be within the changing-room earlier than an enormous sport, two minutes earlier than operating out, on his telephone taking part in Battle of the Clans or some sport the place he’s constructing an empire, to take over the world. Then, subsequent minute, he’ll be out on the sphere and he’ll rating 4 or 5 tries. He has a rare skill to compartmentalise, so he retains the pressures of taking part in the sport separate from his social life and his different pursuits.’

This evaluation of Penaud’s unflappable temperament was echoed by Joe Worsley, who has spent years plotting to comprise the flying wing, whereas teaching Bordeaux – when Penaud was nonetheless at Clermont – and Castres. In line with the World Cup-winning ex-England flanker, the son of Brive legend and France fly-half Alain Penaud is a chip off the previous block, in his skill to deal with the psychological calls for of his high-profile, high-stakes occupation.

‘He’s very relaxed and he’s not bothered in any respect by stress,’ stated Worsley. ‘He’ll be chatting away to the individuals round him on the pitch. They put a microphone on him for a Prime 14 sport – Racing v Bordeaux. It was fairly humorous listening to him. He missed a deal with on the Fijian winger, Habosi, and was joking about it straight after with the full-back, saying: ‘It was like making an attempt to deal with a tree!

Penuad missed France’s Six Nations opener towards Wales however will return towards England

Penaud scored two tries on his final go to to Twickenham and will inflict additional harm

‘He’s a critically relaxed soul and his dad is fairly chilled as effectively. I’ve chatted to him a number of instances. It’s clearly within the genes, in addition to athletic skill and rugby nous. He has such good rugby information as a result of he grew up with the sport, in a rugby heartland.’

Penaud’s availability for the journey to London is unhealthy information for England. He’s arguably the shape wing on the planet at current, having additional enhanced his gold-plated fame with a outstanding haul of 9 tries in his final two appearances for Bordeaux, within the Champions Cup. Double hat-tricks are a particularly uncommon feat, however Penaud claimed one towards the Sharks from South Africa.

Blanco’s nationwide try-scoring document has stood for nearly 34 years, however Penaud will overtake the enduring full-back quickly sufficient. He scored two tries on his final outing at Twickenham – when France subjected England to a 53-10 humiliation – so there’s an opportunity he’ll be prime of the Gallic finishers’ pile by Saturday night time however, if not, the second will certainly come throughout this championship.

Having been born in Brive, Damian was nonetheless younger when he left the city the place his household’s identify was etched in oval-ball folklore, searching for a chance at Clermont. He was initially deployed in midfield and he made an on the spot impression on Abendanon – who moved to the Massif Central membership from Bathtub in 2014.

‘I nonetheless keep in mind to at the present time when he had his first coaching session with us at Clermont, within the first group,’ stated the 38-year-old, now a expertise coach at Bayonne. ‘I had no completely no thought what place he was – I truly thought he was a back-rower.

‘He acquired the ball within the extensive channel and I used to be making an attempt to assist him, however he simply accelerated away as if it was nothing. I wouldn’t say I used to be gradual – I’ve at all times been famend for a little bit of acceleration – however I couldn’t sustain with him within the slightest. Velocity has at all times been an enormous asset of his.’

Penaud was mentored at Clermont by the membership’s favorite son, Aurelien Rougerie, and alongside Abendanon and former England wing David Strettle, he performed his half in serving to the membership to Prime 14 title glory in 2017. Six years later, when he determined to maneuver west to Bordeaux, the information prompted devastation amongst Clermont’s fabled ‘Yellow Military’ – and a realisation that possibilities of success within the fast future could have gone west with him.

In new environment close to the Atlantic coast, Penaud quickly felt at house in a devastating again line and his sport has gone from energy to energy. His six strikes towards the Sharks took his general tally for ‘UBB’ to 33 tries in 32 video games; a staggering return. 

Penaud scored a double hat-trick for Bordeaux towards Sharks and has 9 tries in two video games

Penaud’s laid-back manner and off-beat character have created an impression that, as one Gallic observer put it, ‘he’s misplaced in his personal world or he doesn’t care’. In fact, he does care deeply concerning the sport, however he isn’t keen on fame and largely shuns public appearances. Whereas he has a handful of sponsorship offers, in line with his exalted standing throughout the Channel, he has made no try to match the business clout of Antoine Dupont or Romain Ntamack.

His important curiosity is chess. After his ending feats towards the Sharks, Bordeaux head coach Yannick Bru stated: ‘He spends extra time on chess tutorials than learning the sport plan!’ Bru has additionally joked: ‘It’s good to have one Damian (within the group) however not two!’ Penaud himself was modest about hitting the South Africans for six, saying: ‘Even the road (assistant) referee might have scored them, however as he doesn’t play, it was me.’

Having turn into a senior determine within the France squad, he’s a part of an enormous Bordeaux contingent, however good associates with Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos. On the Six Nations launch occasion in Rome, Dupont quipped: ‘Damian may very well be higher if he performed for Toulouse.’

Heaven assist rival defences if he turns into even higher, as a result of he’s near-unplayable already. ‘His skill to beat somebody one-on-one along with his velocity is kind of extraordinary,’ stated Abendanon. ‘And his studying of the sport has turn into world-class.’

Worsley was equally emphatic in his reward, including: ‘His rugby nous is large. Like lots of the French group, he can recognise alternatives rather well and react rapidly. If he will get the ball in area, from a turnover or poor kick, he can tear you to items, frankly. He has such an unbelievable mixture of energy and velocity and is so good at scoring tries. He’s on fireplace in the intervening time.

The French winger has earned comparisons to Jonah Lomu and is near the total bundle

‘I do know he’s nowhere close to the scale of Lomu, however he’s of that ilk. His acceleration and energy give him the power to interrupt tackles, towards a lot stronger individuals. When he will get put into area, he can use his physique to beat the primary deal with, then he’s gone.

‘Penaud is sort of the total bundle. He’s a nightmare for opposition groups. He’s taking part in with such a gifted group round him and he’s so potent, that he can take the probabilities which come alongside.’

England ought to be on a state of excessive alert, concerning the risk coming their approach. And Blanco ought to be on alert too, concerning the prospect of his historic scoring mark being eclipsed by a modern-day surprise. 

‘He’s going to be round some time longer, so he’s going to smash lots of data,’ stated Worsley.