Phil Fitzgerald: Maestri hitting new heights Published on Sunday 26 February 2012 02:01 WITH the 2007 World Cup title under his belt, Springbok legend Victor Matfield spent six months in the French second division with Toulon. There is little doubt that he was impressed with the fervour of the Stade Mayol and the illustrious colleagues he found assembled by club president Mourad Boudjellal. It seems that the South African was, however, mostly inspired by someone packing down beside him in the second row, a 19-year-old local by the name of Yoann Maestri. Matfield was adamant, Maestri was the next best thing. And "Mama's" subsequent rise has not contradicted such a prophecy. All six feet seven inches of him appear to have stayed firmly on the rails of excellence. Not only through his own potential and determination, or the time spent with high-level squads at Toulon and Toulouse, but also through the will of the French Federation to hone young talent. He won his first full cap against Italy three weeks ago, he starts against Scotland at Murrayfield today and is set to stake his claim for an international career that already seems promised to him. Maestri took his first steps in rugby in the south east of France, well known for producing rugged and somewhat ill-disciplined forwards. This proud and uncompromising rugby hotbed has nurtured such talent as Eric Champ, Jeff Tordo, Christian Califano and red-haired dynamo Marc de Rougemont. The type of rugby advocated in these parts is in stark contrast with the idyllic setting of the quaint Mediterranean port of Carqueiranne where, amidst the palm trees and cicadas, Maestri learnt the rudiments of his trade. Although he would briefly betray rugby football with a fleeting stint in soccer, he quickly reverted to the oval ball and soon found himself joining the ranks of neighbouring Toulon and their under-17 youth set-up. Maestri's potential and ensuing progress was rewarded by age-group caps and being chosen to spend a season at French rugby's Marcoussis HQ at their centre of excellence where, with the elite of his age, his skills were developed for 12 months. Yoann is in no doubt as to the benefits of that period: "If you already have the Baccalaureate, you are quite free to concentrate on your rugby. The level of training at Marcoussis forges your character, it prepares you. There is training twice a day, the rhythm is tough. A huge advantage is that, when you start to train with your professional club team, you are used to this intensity. After a convincing year in Marcoussis, the fresh-faced teenager signed a professional contract with Toulon. Coached by Tana Umaga and former French international prop Jean-Jacques Crenca, he was rubbing shoulders with some of the most experienced international players of all time - George Gregan, Andrew Mehrtens, Anton Oliver - and learning adult rugby in the gritty and unwelcoming French Pro D2. This was huge for me as I had the chance to play a lot of matches. There was a great bond between the internationals and the youngsters. Tana had a great deal of confidence in us, we were very well prepared and it was a great year with great results. And, of course, he had the chance to learn beside Matfield, on whose subject Maestri remains surprisingly coy: "You don't quite realise it at the time but, when I look back, it was a very good experience. I like to remember the little details, the lineout games, Victor stealing all the ball, the competitive atmosphere that was installed. Having won promotion with Toulon in 2008, and having helped the club stay in the Top 14 the following year, "Mama" received an offer that he could not refuse. It was not the Godfather twisting his arm, but Toulouse, with their enormous trophy cabinet and a four-year deal. Remaining in Toulon became very difficult. It was definitely a strange feeling to leave my friends and family but it was a choice that I thought a lot about. At the same time, upon arriving at Toulouse, I was reassured in a way because there was so much coming and going in Toulon that it seemed like the right time to leave. Maestri was struck by the very close-knit atmosphere in Toulouse: "The bond between players at Toulouse is very strong. One of the reasons for their success is the stability and being able to keep people at the club - for example, William Servat who will be the next forwards coach. When I went to Toulouse, there were only three new recruits, Louis Picamoles, Yann David and myself. Everyone else had been at the club for what seemed like a decade. It was their serenity that impressed me. You work for the long term, it is a powerful feeling, it really gives you structure. Success was not long in coming. Maestri was a Heineken Cup winner the first year and Top 14 champion the second. He has won titles and has also proven his worth in the college of excellence that is the Stade Toulousain. And what, might one ask, is the dark side of this gilded youth? As Maestri worked his way up through the ranks, there have been doubts about whether he can keep his head in pressure situations. True to his rugby roots, he has carried with him a reputation of being slightly impetuous on the field, a little hot headed. He had, for example, no sooner left the bench in a desperately tight Toulon versus Toulouse match than he immediately returned after receiving a yellow card. Can a leopard change its spots? The answer is, in this case, seemingly affirmative, as Maestri has applied himself on this part of his game. I've worked on playing rugby with intensity but without stepping over the line. At Toulouse, Guy Noves reminds me that you can't penalise you own teammates with stupidity, that you can't allow yourself to do something daft when a ruck or a big tackle can be of much more use to the team. With his discipline in check and having started to fill the giant boots left in Toulouse by Fabien Pelous, it was only logical that Maestri walk in his footsteps with the cockerel on his chest. Being picked for France was a huge moment for Maestri: "It is one thing to have had caps going through the junior ranks but, as a professional, you need to start again and you need to work extremely hard. When I found out that I had been picked, I was over the moon. My first cap against Italy, the national anthems, it was very emotional. Although the stage seems set for Maestri, the reality of international rugby also awaits and this comes in the form of the very stern test that awaits France in Edinburgh today. And, while Maestri barely hides his longing to be on the Murrayfield pitch and his admiration for Gavin Hastings and Jason White, he is, however, rather cagey about Richie Gray, his opposite man, who has already made a rather impressive name for himself in France. Is this the traditional langue de bois (literally: wooden tongue, figuratively: stonewalling) on Maestri's part, or maybe a sign of respect and an indicator of humility? Whatever the answer may be, Maestri, like his counterpart Gray, will have his opportunity to shine today. It is a confrontation between two giants at the dawn of their international careers, two players who may cross paths for years and also a mouth-watering prospect for the spectators. Phil Fitzgerald is a former hooker with Toulon, where he played under current France coach Philippe Saint-André