Antoine Deliance

At just twenty years of age, Antoine Deliance is among the emerging forwards being developed at Lyon Olympique Universitaire. The French flanker, born on 29 March 2005, has earned a reputation as an energetic and combative back-rower with a clear appetite for the defensive side of the game. Deliance thrives in the contact area, applying pressure at the breakdown and throwing himself into the tackle with the kind of intensity that disrupts opposition rhythm. His role within the pack is that of an industrious worker, a player who covers ground tirelessly and looks to win the collisions that turn momentum. Coming through at a Top 14 club with European ambitions, he is learning his craft in a demanding environment and continuing to add physical maturity to his natural work rate. Lyon will hope his blend of energy, aggression and persistence translates into a growing role, and Deliance profiles as a developing turnover threat capable of giving the side fresh impetus from the back row.