If this cursed memory will no doubt haunt them for a long time, the Gialloneri have done what is necessary to transform this lead not into gold but into a keepsake that is always useful in their quest for excellence. Twenty days after a result that allowed them to come back 2nd, with 26 points on the clock, the Maritimes find this Saturday a Marcel-Deflandre wholly committed to their cause, even if curious to see the face of his favorites against Castres.
“With Banana”
“After Pau I wasn’t feeling very well. The first two days, when I joined the Australian group, weren’t very pleasant… You don’t want that to happen to Deflandre again! But it’s not really a feeling of revenge what we feel, no, it’s just another game to play. Against Pau we were far from our standards when we want to play at a high level every week, underlined Will Skelton. Here is Castres, in our stadium which will be full. It will certainly be noisy, as always, the fans have always supported us after defeats. I hope they will have reason to be proud of our performance. »
“All the teams saw us lose at home, but we have a plan for this weekend”
The Stadistes will have to be strong against the French vice-champion. He hasn’t won on the road yet but he probably has very clear ideas after seeing Bearn’s example. The French internationals will once again be there, with the exception of Grégory Alldritt who is on leave. ” Of course! All the teams saw us lose at home, but we have a plan for this weekend, we will try to give our best. I think we will respond. I hope everything goes well”, slips Uini Atonio, back from Marcoussis three victories in as many test matches.
“We are a group, we all lost against Pau! It was hard to watch, but wasn’t that the wake-up call for the rest of the season? Perhaps. There is always something positive to take out of the negative. Pau deserved to win and we deserved to work again, that’s how it is. We have seen that in Brive we returned with much more desire, continues the right pillar. The boys responded in a stadium where it’s not easy to win, especially after losing at home. I found a banana group, it was nice, everyone was happy to see each other again after a month when we weren’t all together. »
No lead screed
Only victory counted in Corrèze. Although it is owed not only to the character of Romain Sazy and company, but also to the misfortune of the Coujoux at the end of the game, very quickly crushed the threat of a possible lead screed. “Brive made it possible to move forward. We feel good now,” confirms Tawera Kerr-Barlow. The cut, necessary after a tunnel of ten league games, then allowed him to catch his breath. Finally, the good vibes brought back in the suitcases of the internationals and the barbarians ended up cheering up a group in a hurry to revive a dynamic.
“We know we have to play our part, be clear in our roles and our game plan”
Thus, while he had appeared struggling before joining British Baabaas in England, “TKB” showed against the All Blacks reserves a level close to that of last season, on the back of a “nice, light” and visibly tiring week, to see her dazzling smile. “We found the true spirit of rugby, with training and a half and good times together, I took advantage of it, it was good to play for fun,” appreciates the one who also enjoyed the haka, which he performed at the same time as his compatriots.
And while the persistent rain reminds us that rugby is also a winter sport, the scrum-half is poised to handle more mauls, scrums and tap outs more often, a weapon Castres has used more so far than the Maritimes (with 27.6 shots per game, 2nd overall in the Top 14, versus 21.4 for La Rochelle, 13th). “It is a very good team, vice-champion of France last season, with a physical game, we know that we must have good behavior, be clear in our roles and in our game plan,” warns the half-combat. Or what the force of the Maritimes did before the slap in Pau and which they found in part in Brive. A full match against Castres would find all the pieces of the puzzle.
