Among the banners waved by fervent Toulon fans is one that proclaims “God save Ribbans”, featuring the image of their captain sketched over a St George’s Cross.
Stade Mayol is one of the most vibrant venues in European rugby union, so to be regarded as its king, even implicitly, represents a formidable feat. The nickname “Ribeye” did not follow Dave Ribbans from Northampton Saints, but Toulon supporters adore him.
The 29-year-old is rightly proud of the affection his performances have earned. And despite being unavailable to England head coach Steve Borthwick, he could well muscle himself into contention for a trip to Australia with the British and Irish Lions. Locks that weigh more than 20st, stand 6ft 8in and contribute around the pitch are rare.
Having arrived on Côte d’Azur in 2023, following a World Cup campaign that brought his tally of caps to 11, Ribbans has excelled. On the back of an impressive debut campaign, he was asked to share the captaincy with Charles Ollivon.
Ollivon suffered a serious knee injury three months ago, leaving Ribbans as the main man for the rest of the season. He will lead Toulon in their Champions Cup knockout tie against Saracens on Saturday.
Lying third in the Top 14, Pierre Mignoni’s team are chasing two trophies. It recalls the golden galactico period that yielded three Champions Cup titles in succession, between 2013-15, while a recent documentary commemorated a decade since the 2014 double. Ribbans, though, wants to “create our own history”.
“It’s a massive part of the club’s tradition, that period,” he tells Telegraph Sport. “But it was a different time, and the game has changed a lot. There are JIFF rules [on home-grown players], financial rules.
“France isn’t just a Wild West in terms of what you can and can’t do. It’s slightly wilder than the Premiership, maybe, but that all-star team wouldn’t be possible in today’s era.”
Ribbans speaks functional French and prefers to stay level-headed. Though he “can get fiery in training”, Ribbans defers to natives for “emotional” speeches. Matthias Halagahu and Selevasio Tolofua are identified as two of Toulon’s tub-thumpers, and Mignoni is not shy, either.
“We know how to fire rockets every now and then,” Ribbans adds with a laugh. “I would say that Pierre, our ...
