Thomas Combezou (Castres): “We want to meet again after the big disillusionment in Toulouse”

News: Were you afraid that the victory against Brive (23-22) eludes you in the last moments of the game?

Thomas Combezou: Brive had tightened up on certain values, including combat. They made a point of showing it to us, following their defeat in Biarritz. For our part, we wanted to play a match with greater offensive domination, except that, despite possession, we were not able to break and especially to widen the gap in the score, so the Brivists remained in the match . Throughout the game, they believed in their luck. But, after that, from being scared and squeezing the buttocks, I don’t think so, because we spent the last five minutes of the match in their camp trying a penalty kick. Despite the narrow score, the meeting could very well have ended with a try at the end and a larger result. Afterwards, we have to tell the truth, the Brivists played a very good game and we played a decent game, but we could have done better. We will also retain the victory, because it has been a few years since Brive is more than annoying at home. The value of this result should not be diminished.

Tell us about your return to the closed side which led to Geoffrey Palis’ try against Brive? What is going on in your head?

T.C : I intrigued a lot of people: “But where is he going? What is he doing?” (laughs). But I wanted to score “Jojo” (Geoffrey Palis) since it was his 150th game with the CO. It was studied in training. I had analyzed that the winger was in the deep field, that the 9 was going to rise on the 10 (laughs). More seriously, I felt that there was a lot of defensive pressure and that we had the advantage and therefore the possibility of trying a winning shot. This is also rugby. There is nothing written. I tried, I succeeded and Jojo to score, so that’s the main thing. It’s a bit of luck, we’ll say, but it turned out well.

There has always been character in Castres. It has been proven for quite a few years. The team is built on these values.

How do you approach this important trip to Lyon to stay in the top 6, before the international break?

T.C : It’s an important match, but not decisive on our scoreboard. Today, we want to meet again following the big disillusion that we experienced in Toulouse, outside (41-0, October 23, Editor’s note). We want to play the best game possible in Lyon, but we must forget the victory of last year, it’s a new season, with a new squad and new ambitions. We are not in the same place in the ranking as last December (13th, Editor’s note). These are two great teams that face each other, Castres Olympique, currently 4th, and Lyon which is 6th, one point behind us. It’s a big meeting that awaits us to try to stay at the top of the ranking.

Last year, the victory in Lyon, 14 against 15, was the trigger of your season. Was it the match that made you realize the character of this team?

T.C : There has always been character in Castres. It has been proven for quite a few years. The team is built on these values. Last year’s game is a thing of the past. It is a meeting that we had well negotiated and which allowed us to raise our heads at that time. Today, we are only at the beginning of November, so we will try to bring back a positive result to continue to stay in the top 6.

How do you see this Lyon team?

T.C : We’re going to meet a great LOU team on Saturday. At home, the Lyonnais remain on a very good victory against Toulouse. They have achieved very good results since the start of the season. They have received Toulouse, Clermont and other teams well, so we will be up against a big team from the top of the table and which regularly dominates its opponents with a large pack of forwards and a good three-quarter line. I think they are well oiled, their playing system is good, so it’s up to us to prepare ourselves well, because we will have to deal with a big game.

I am very happy to be able to join the French Barbarians next week in Lyon and participate in the match against Tonga. These are rare moments in a playing career.

With ten fewer internationals, isn’t the LOU more feverish, as it showed in Montpellier on Saturday (30-8 defeat)?

T.C : Personally, I don’t like watching this too much because it doesn’t mean anything. We don’t have more internationals than that and yet we try to do well. Today, the Top 14 clubs have between 40 and 50 players, so the guys who will be on the pitch on Saturday will have a very good level, if not excellent. The LOU is one of the biggest budgets of the Top 14, so many players knock on the doors of the XV of France and national selections, even if they are not all international. I am thinking of Lambey, Arnold, Chiocci, Berdeu, but also of Pélissié, who has been called up for training with the Blues more than once, or even of Fainga’a and their young wingers who are in the process of increasing in power. . It’s a great team, it’s up to us to face this challenge and meet it as best as possible, being diligent, good defensively and realistic each time we go to their camp. And afterwards, we’ll see what happens next, if the match is well aligned, but I think anything is possible.

Finally, a word about your selection with the French Barbarians, which should delight you …

T.C : It is clear that this is a great pleasure. It’s a great reward. I am very happy to be able to join the Baa-Baas next week in Lyon and participate with them in the match against Tonga. It will be a beautiful moment to be savored. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to make a selection like this, so I’ll try to have as much fun as possible, along with a lot of other players from all walks of life. I will try to feast and enjoy 200% of these rare moments in a playing career.

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