From Scottish roots to outstanding individual displays, Kit Shepard has the lowdown on the La Rochelle back-row
Who is Gregory Alldritt: Ten things you should know about the France back-row
Gregory Alldritt is a natural leader for club and country. His hard running and reliable tackling allow him to affect games with or without the ball.
Ten things you should know about Gregory Alldritt
1. Gregory Alldritt was born on 23 March 1997 in Condom-en-Armagnac in south-western France. He played youth rugby for nearby club Auch.
2. The Alldritt family has Scottish roots. Gregory’s father, Terence, moved to Stirling aged 12 after being born in Kenya and attending boarding school in South Africa.
Gregory regularly visited Scotland as a child and his brother, Scott, has played for Edinburgh club Stewart’s Melville.
3. He played a season of senior rugby for Auch in the Fédérale One, France’s third division. When the club went bankrupt in 2017, Alldritt moved to Top 14 side La Rochelle.
4. He made his international debut in France’s 2019 Six Nations opener against Wales and would go on to feature in all five matches that tournament.
5. Alldritt scored his first two tries for les Bleus in just his third appearance, against Scotland in 2019.
6. He was Man of the Match in the 24-17 defeat of England in the 2020 Six Nations, as France began a new era under Fabien Galthie in style.
He would earn the same prize in two more games during that competition and was nominated for Player of the Championship.
7. Refreshingly open in interviews, Alldritt admitted that opposition coach Eddie Jones motivated the French to that 2020 victory over England.
“Eddie was saying that we couldn’t manage the brutality of the England team,” he said post-match.
“Of course we read it. We were clearly going to put some fighting spirit out there.”
8. Alldritt helped La Rochelle reach the 2021 European Champions Cup final with a key try in the semi-final against Leinster.
9. He enjoys a partnership with French automobile dealership Tressol-Chabrier.
10. Alldritt starred in France’s famous 40-25 win over New Zealand in November 2021, making 13 tackles and carrying for 42 metres.
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