This Sunday evening, Dimitri Delibes returned to the field of the Stade Toulousain, wearing the jersey of Montpellier HR, for a symbolic return. Having left Toulouse this summer, Delibes will soon reunite with Ernest-Wallon, as he is announced as a starter with Montpellier HR, this Sunday, September 27 (21:05). For the fourth round of the Top 14, the 27-year-old three-quarters will face the Sept-Deniers as an outsider for the first time. After 89 appearances in the red and black jersey, he completes the loop of a first part of his career marked by many hopes, but punctuated by frequent disappointments. Growing up in the Toulouse suburbs, Dimitri Delibes made his first steps with the seniors in Blagnac. Then, he joined the Stade Toulousain training center in 2018. After two years with the Espoirs, he made his debut during the first edition of the Supersevens in 2020. Then, he appeared among the professionals and was noticed a year later during the doubles of the 2021 Six Nations Tournament. In good form during the winter, his progress was extended with some notable appearances in the spring. However, problems began in the following season, as Ugo Mola started to trust him in high-stakes matches such as the Champions Cup 2021/2022 final phase. Injured twice during that season, this uneven rhythm and repeated absences would represent the rest of his adventure in Haute-Garonne. If no one hesitates to acknowledge his offensive qualities and talent, Dimitri Delibes never managed to establish himself in Ugo Mola's starting XV in the long term. The fault lay in too frequent injuries. In six seasons, the former Caouec experienced no fewer than 12 different periods of unavailability. He never played in any Top 14 final phase and was not on the match sheets for the two Champions Cup finals won by his team. At Stade Toulousain, he nonetheless has a very good ratio of a try every three matches, across all competitions. Talented but lacking continuity, Dimitri Delibes decided to try his luck elsewhere to break the bad luck. This summer, he remained in Occitanie, but moved to the Hérault. He is one of the key recruits in the backline of the vice-champion of France, Montpellier HR. “This is a recruitment that pleases me because these transfers, two or three years ago, could not have been made,” noted manager Joan Caudullo in an interview with Midi Libre. Without much difficulty, the player managed to integrate into the Montpellier team. Appreciated for his good humor and offensive qualities, he quickly gained the trust of his teammates and the staff. This season, in Toulouse, he will experience a fourth consecutive weekend as a starter, after a third round of Top 14 where he scored a double (50-13 against USAP). He had not experienced such a sequence of matches since the end of the autumn of 2022. “He is a very good recruitment. Beyond the player's level, he is a French JIFF, on the verge of the French team. Especially, he comes from Stade Toulousain. It's hard to get them to move from there because the guys are well there. In the medium to long-term project, it is very important,” said Joan Caudullo to Midi Libre early July. In front of his family and friends, Dimitri Delibes will try to overturn his former teammates. In a setting he knows well, the meeting should have a particularly special flavor.