Justin Sangare glad he chose hard way rather than fall into ‘easy money’ trap

JUSTIN Sangare chose the hard route after life proved a real Bagatelle.

But he could not be happier as taking the ‘easy money’ may have led to big trouble.

Leeds’ French prop grew up in the Bagatelle area of Toulouse after moving from birthplace Mali when he was a toddler.

That district is not the nicest. Racial tension is high as many immigrants live there and crime rates are soaring as many turn to it to make ends meet.

However, a young Sangare opted to stay on the straight and narrow, unlike others he saw in the area.

He recalled: “There were kids – not friends of mine – who would hang around when we went to play football.

“They lived close to my home and had decided to take the easy money and go down the wrong path and they were asking us to as well.

“But to get out of that area, you’ve got to make your family proud and thanks to my parents showing the family the right way, I never decided to take the easy money.

“All I did in Bagatelle as a kid was play football, there was no rugby there. It wasn’t until I went to school that I started giving rugby a try.

“My mother met my father in Mali, dad comes from Martinique but has some family in Mali.

“But after I was born, it was better for dad to come to France, where he worked before coming to Mali.”

Sangare and Leeds’ journey takes them to Wigan tonight after last week’s home loss to Salford, the first of a league-cup double header.

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But the Warriors are eyeing a return to top spot after slipping up at Hull FC and star full back Bevan French admits Rohan Smith’s side will be up against a group looking to right the wrongs.

He said: “There were a few basic things that are easy to fix

“From the start against Hull, the contact and the intent wasn’t there, so it’s up to our own personal attitude now to sort that.”