The first match is always a special moment, when we find the field, the shirts, the locker room. It’s a soft restart that counts in a preseason.
After a little over a month of preparation, two and a half months after the cruel defeat against Biarritz in the semi-final of Pro D2 (33-34), Jean-Noël Spitzer and his men kick off a season against Rouen on the Grand-Champ pitch. A fair return of things for this club, equipped with a synthetic pitch and which so often hosted the training of the RCV when the grounds of Jo-Courtel were made unavailable due to the atmospheric conditions.
Work on defense and conquest
What to expect from this first meeting of the season, two weeks before the restart in Nevers (Friday, August 27, at 7:30 p.m.)? Not much in terms of results, confides the Vannes coach. I saw successful performances followed by a mediocre start to the championship and the reverse too. So it’s always complicated to learn from it.
Jean-Noël Spitzer hopes above all to be able to work. We hope that there is a good interaction between the two teams because we are in fact partners in our preparation. The two teams must be able to make quality offensive sequences so that we can work on the defense, have a conquest set to work on our opposition. It’s complicated, but ideally that’s what it should be.
With an advantage undoubtedly for Rouen who has already made a friendly match, victorious against Massy (34-14) a week ago. The Normans who held on last season changed their coach: Richard Hill left, Nicolas Godignon (former 3rd row of Clermont and Brive and coach of Brive and Pau) arrived with Serge Betsen in his suitcases, the former international who will be in charge of forwards to replace Palmer who arrived in Vannes. This first match will be played in 2×40 min. It will also be an opportunity to see the new faces that will wear the colors of the RCV. Not everyone will play, continues Jean-Noël Spitzer who has not yet stopped his group. Some will be preserved even if we will try to make a maximum of players play, by spreading over the two preparation matches (Jersey will be the next opponent in a week).
Erik Marks and Ewen Johnson, in rehabilitation at Cap-Ferret, Cyril Blanchard, who has just taken over will be absent as will Rodrigo Bruni who shines with the Argentine national team. On the rookie side, Rudy Paige is still waiting for qualification, the others are on the bridge. Starting with Quentin Étienne, the child of Grand-Champ.
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