Le Poullain makes step up in style
STEPPING up to represent England and marking the occasion with an emphatic triumph – it does not get much better than that for a Bailiwick boxer.
Billy Le Poullain ranked the weekend’s England debut against Scotland in Glasgow, where he secured a third-round RSC (referee stops contest) win over Luke McFadyen, up there with the greatest moments of his brilliant boxing career.
It is perhaps surpassed only by competing for Guernsey at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Although Le Poullain is focused on a repeat Commonwealth Games appearance this summer, and more imminently starting a new National Amateur Championships campaign on 19 March, he will not be forgetting his successful England debut any time soon.
‘It was a really good experience and I enjoyed every second of it, even just being with the team,’ the Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club star said.
The tough dual match against Scotland set the stage for England’s first amateur team outing of the Covid pandemic, with Le Poullain’s win helping to secure a 3-3 draw.
After two of his teammates outpointed their respective rivals, he entered the ring for the second-to-last bout of the night and his first big test after cutting to the light-middleweight class.
Le Poullain excelled in the second round and gave his opponent two standing counts, plus a nasty cut to the eyebrow.
Come the start of the third round, he set a great tempo, stepped to his opponent and put his shots together to inflict further hurt, before the referee intervened decisively.
‘It was great to get the opportunity to box for England – it’s another step up,’ he said.
‘It’s another stepping stone now for the National Championships.’
Le Poullain also called his new under-71kg weight class a ‘comfortable fit’ and feels strong and energised after the drop.
‘I am looking forward to seeing how my performances will be over the next few weeks.’
