The old demons, those from last season, are back… And they’ve already been hovering dangerously for a few weeks around the Checkers.
Passed from first place after the inaugural victory against Colomiers (32-19) , to the last following setback conceded against Perpignan (the eighth of the 9 wiped this season), the VRDR has a little more mortgaged its chances of maintaining Friday night in Cantal. Not against a stronger team, no, because the formation of former opening half Anderson Neisen didn’t show anything really exciting and didn’t have to strain to win. But against a competitor in maintenance, which necessarily poses a problem and questions, while the Checkers are currently struggling to beat the bottom teams. Of course, they have two games late to play, but will they be able to win at Mont-de-Marsan and “hit” Montauban on Tuesday night?
The signals sent for three months now leave little room for optimism, as this team seems to have become again, slowly but surely, the one that exasperated its supporters last year. The latter have also been letting off steam on social networks for a few weeks. And the notion of combativeness constantly evoked, and rightly so, does not weigh heavily in the face of the deficiencies displayed in the game and this unfortunate tendency to shoot yourself in the foot, like the red card “express ”Inflicted Friday on Flavien Vuagnat.
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Johann Authier: “Recreating a dynamic of victories”
Statistically, it’s not good either. Penultimate defense (15e ) of the championship and 13e attack, the VRDR has won, on average since its debut in Pro D2, one in 6 matches (5 wins in 32 matches played in total over the two seasons). A rate of future relegation assumed last year by the leaders of the club, who explained that a return to Federal 1 would not be so much of a disaster as that. However, since then, the National has been created, and the level of the teams that compose it is clearly higher than that of the teams faced in the 2018-2019 financial year.
To avoid getting there, it will therefore now be necessary to ensure against the bottom teams. And especially to let go on the meadow: the lack of initiative and character is more and more obvious, as the team seems to be paralyzed by the situation.
“We wanted to come back to Aurillac at Christmas if we won, unfortunately that won’t be the case. The commitment was there, but we lacked creativity to be able to destabilize this team, ”admitted Johann Authier after the meeting, who now wants to“ recreate a dynamic of victories ”.
After being the first team to lose at Soyaux / Angoulême, Valence-Romans must now at all costs avoid offering the Montalbanais their first success away from home.
>> Pro D2 results, standings and schedule
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