“Duck is a delicacy in Bordeaux. One of the first meals I got taken out for was to a restaurant that served only duck.”
Gabriel Oghre fondly remembers the welcome at Bordeaux-Begles in early 2023.
Then 24, the hooker’s career had been whipped from under him by Wasps’ demise three months before.
He had had a short-term stint with Leicester, but, after hearing former team-mate Tom Willis rave about life in south-west France, Oghre took the chance to reunite with him.
“It was amazing to be honest – they’re great people, and it is a great organisation,” he tells BBC Sport.
“They were really good to me and Tom.
“My French wasn’t very good, so they tried their best to help me.
“There were a lot of off-field get-togethers, being invited around players houses for barbeques or out to meals, to make me feel welcome and introduce me to their culture.”
Oghre reels off the name of the friends he made – “Nico [Nicolas Depoortere], Louis [Bielle-Biarrey], Jali [Mathieu Jalibert], Jeff [Jefferson Poirot], a lot of them.”
This Sunday though, when Bordeaux-Begles arrive at Ashton Gate to face Bristol, the reunion will have to wait.
“It’ll be nice to catch after the game,” says Oghre. “After the game.”
There is business to attend to first.
Although both teams are qualified for the last 16, victory would ensure home advantage for the knockout stages.
Last season, Bordeaux-Begles showed how key it can be.
They topped their pool, scoring 40 points or more in every match, before sweeping to a glorious maiden European title with victory over Northampton in Cardiff in May.
Oghre was never going to be part of that run.
Despite a successful five months with Bordeaux-Begles, he signed a deal to return to England with Bristol.
“I definitely really enjoyed my time in the Top 14 and at Bordeaux, but I had big aspirations to play for England, and you can’t do that playing in France,” he says.
“I wanted to come back and try and push to achieve some personal goals.”
In July, he did.
After touring New Zealand and Japan with England in 2024, but not getting any game time, Oghre made his debut off the bench against the United States in a match that was delayed and then interrupted by lightning storms.
“It was a bit of a weird game,” he remembers. “I sat on the bench and every time we had to go inside, I was like, ‘is this game going to get called off? Am I going to be able to get on the pitch?’
“But it was a real special moment to win my first cap.”
When another might arrive is difficult to predict.
England are well stocked at hooker. But as Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie, 35 and 32, approach the end of their careers, there may be vacancies.
Leicester’s Jamie Blamire (28), Saracens’ Theo Dan (25) and Sale’s Nathan Jibulu (22) join 27-year-old Oghre among the younger generation.
Oghre’s energy amid Bristol’s trademark running style, combined with his set-piece accuracy, makes a strong case.
Lee Blackett, now England’s attack coach, but formerly with Wasps, knows what he can bring.
“Lee was always good to me, even when I was in the academy,” says Oghre of the pair’s time at Wasps.
“He’s a very honest person, which I like.
“If he thinks you’re not performing the way that you could be, which we definitely had some conversations about at Wasps, he will tell you how he thinks you can get better.”
For now, though Oghre’s focus is being better for the Bears.
Bristol endured a painful Premiership semi-final defeat by rivals Bath in June. Leading 13-6 at half-time, the underdogs were eventually beaten 34-20 at the Rec.
This season, despite a raft of injuries, they have mixed grit and glitter to ride high in both the Prem and Europe.
“We don’t really have to speak about that pain,” Oghre says of how Bristol’s 2024-25 campaign ended.
“If you were in the changing room after the game, you could feel it. You could feel the hurt of how we were close, but we didn’t get the job done.
“I think that’s something we’re carrying. We’re aware that we’re doing well and we still haven’t got the job done.
“There’s no point in having a good start to the season if we don’t continue. We’re very aware of that.”
New goals will take priority over old friendships on Sunday.
