The last USAP trip to Rouen, September 27, 2019 (10-12 defeat), remained in the collective memory: the meeting took place the day after the fire at the Lubrizol factory classified as high risk.
Memory. On the night of Wednesday 25 to Thursday 26 September 2019, the Lubrizol plant classified Seveso (high risk) caught fire. A foul-smelling cloud of smoke spreads over the city of Rouen. The next day, the USAP moved to the Normandy capital to play a regular season game. Doubt hovers: given the sanitary conditions, should the match be played? The Rouen club, then newly promoted to Pro D2, replied in the affirmative and the meeting was not played at the usual Jean-Mermoz stadium but at the Robert-Diochon stadium, sanctuary of the FC Rouen team. The reception of the USAP is done with great fanfare in this stadium of more than 10,000 seats … located 3 km from the burned down factory. Except that it is made impossible for the blood and gold to train before the meeting because of the pestilential emanations released by the scene of the incident. Even today, this atmosphere and the resulting organization have left their mark.
Wash away the affront
“We’ve been talking about it for two weeks with those who went to Rouen two years ago: because of the explosion and the fact that we received a little on the ground as well., confides Karl Chateau, the third row from Perpignan, whose team had lost there by the score of 12-10. We still have a few tires in our lungs and smoke (laughs). ” The player remembers a match “gala” on the lawn of FC Rouen: “It was a way for them to welcome us well and to prepare a party with a huge crowd at the stadium. We went there with a lot of ambition. We were expected.” The Normans have therefore doubled the big game by winning the bet against the Catalans. But this Friday evening (kick off at 7 p.m.) according to Karl Chateau, “Even without an audience, the motivation of the players will be almost the same as over a year ago. We necessarily want to wash away the affront.”
–
