The matchday bus rides to his new club's stadium perfectly capture the parallel universe of French club rugby. You can hear the fans when you're still a minute away.
There's a tangible difference in atmosphere; when we played Toulouse at home, people were crying in the pre-game guard of honour. It meant that much to them.
I came back on following a yellow card and they were baying for blood. It was like they were at some kind of dogfight, the energy from the crowd was unbelievable.
The genuine relish in Collier's voice suggests that the decision to swap the easy familiarity of life in Putney for southern France has already justified the upheaval.
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