If the Audois have put their heads back in place by bringing back a success from Normandy (19-22), the road to maintenance is long and the road is still strewn with pitfalls. This Thursday evening, the US Carcassonne receives the SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne at 21:00 in Domec.
The rebellion interviewed last Friday in Seine-Maritime must not remain without action! In Rouen, the US Carcassonne has laid a new foundation and must continue to build the building. On the Robert-Diochon lawn there were unequivocal signs such as this aggressiveness, this collective defense at the height of the Norman storm or even this victorious touch of final rigor. A band was born! And these first points brought back from a trip should serve as a trigger.
Because as confirmed by the manager of Carcassonne, Christian Labit, “this type of match, tough and difficult in relation to the context, but which one you win, is decisive for the season”. Despite a reduced working week (Editor’s note: the match against Agen will open the 12th day) and always complicated training conditions, it was in any case with the banana that the Canaries gave away the blue warm-up on Monday.
A privileged recovery, two mornings and two afternoons of training, the “captain run” on Wednesday at the end of the day, and here is SU Agen in sight. “Don’t think that recovery is easier after a success.” says the technician Aude. “This is where you shouldn’t go wrong. We just won in Rouen. Above all, we must not have this natural relaxation, but on the contrary redouble our efforts, supervise and remobilize the kids”.
After a challenging off-season in terms of player movements and a difficult start to the season (Editor’s note: 3 wins, 7 losses), fully aware that achieving a glittering and ambitious game took time, the Canaries refocused on the essentials. “Today we are lucid, aware of our shortcomings, of our problems, but also of our strengths. And we will adapt to it. We are not going to be rugby wizards. Take the French team, play in the expropriation. She’s not the prettiest, but nobody criticizes her because she wins. That of Deschamps in football, the same, but she is the world champion. At USC today we don’t have the men to let us say we will play for the sake of playing, we wanted to and it has done us a disservice. And we also lost our collective and our state of mind a little bit.
The return of Samuel Marques
The pursuit of efficiency and pragmatism, this is the new pursuit of the people of Carcassonne for the matches to come. On the effective side, the staff wanted not to disturb the victorious group in Normandy and to remain in continuity. The will is clear, that of chaining a few matches like this. The only changes compared to last week are the returns of Samuel Marques after qualifying his selection of Portugal for the 2023 World Cup, and third-row South African Tim Agaba who will take his place on the substitutes’ bench. From a heavy front on land that promises to be very greasy after the rains of recent days, the choice is obviously strategic. “It’s been our philosophy from the start, we just could never have it.” explains Christian Labit. “We finally have the feeling of finding a team that is more representative of our operations and that I like.
“
“We have already lost too much at home”
Absent from the Soyaux-Angoulême match, can you explain your unavailability?
I had a concussion during which I broke my nose. I lost three games. The protocol called for ten days off. However, since I still had the symptoms, a full two weeks was added. Then crashing at the end of the block allowed me to recover for another week.
How was your return from the match in Rouen (19-22)?
Quietly and normally I would say. I was happy to be able to play again and rejoin the group, I missed it. Especially since we were a bit stiff. I also wanted to bring my stone into the building.
Your latest action proves to be decisive…
Two minutes to go, see there’s a bald patch at the bottom, hit way ahead, run straight up to try and chase Lydon, manage to land him. Then there’s the support that arrives well, and the referee penalizes Rouen. We make contact, then the big ones do the work to score, it’s okay. From an accounting point of view, it was important to recover these four points in Rouen, which was starting the championship well. The return was shorter.
If your occupation strategy has paid off, at home against Agen, won’t it take more?
With the climatic conditions, we are entering somewhat complicated periods. And you have to take that into account. Then, we have seen so far that we were exposing ourselves a little too much in our field. We changed our tune. We try to occupy more and put ourselves less in danger on our pitch, especially with the markers that are there now… Ideally, during the next matches, and even if it’s not very nice to look at maybe, but if it’s the most effective , you have to use your foot. Employment and pragmatism.
How do you perceive this welcome from Agen?
It won’t be easy at all! Whenever AUS suffer a defeat at home, they react immediately away. This year it’s a great team, very complete, who will play Top 6, or better.
Isn’t this match crucial?
Of course, it can really kick-start our season. We must confirm our success in Normandy! We’ve already lost too much at home. We felt that something had happened in Rouen, we have to confirm this Thursday and move on to the positive.
6-2 Agent Advantage. Given that the two formations crossed swords in Pro D2, it cannot be said that the Lot-et-Garonnaise team brings luck to the Audois. Indeed, of the eight ties between Carcassonnais and Agenais, SUA has won six times (including twice at the Domec in March 2014, then in April 2017). USC has won only twice, each time at the foot of the City (in December 2014, then in October 2021).
