By finishing first in the regular phase, the Tarnais surprised everyone. But they went to seek this position by a perfect management of the season.
This is almost a paradox. Quietly, the CO slipped insidiously into the top three, before finishing in front in a knocking crash. “We don’t yet realize what we have just done, smiled back Julien Dumora after the success in Pau on Sunday evening (26-16). It’s unique. But now a new competition is beginning.”
Castres had never finished a regular season since the introduction of the single pool in 2004, as a leader, finishing 3rd at best in 2010-2011.
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However, this year, the men of Pierre-Henry Broncan, launched on the dynamics of the end of the previous exercise, thwarted all the forecasts, building up their season in a methodical way to style everyone on the post.
Nothing surprising in this finally when we look at the course of a team which ends the 26 days with the greatest number of victories (17). Being the only club undefeated at home (twelve wins, one draw). “This first place is a reward. Our invincibility at home, as well as our successes away, allowed us to claim the top 6 and finish at the top of the rankings in the end”, noted Castres hooker Gaëtan Barlot .
“Controlled” rugby
This consistency, the “Blue and White” owe it in particular to their managerial side. During the matches, already, where the Tarnais have regularly managed to get out of situations not necessarily to their advantage without too much damage.
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This was the case at the Hamlet on Sunday. “We said to ourselves that we shouldn’t panic. Whether we conceded three points or a try, we told ourselves to keep a cool head and to continue with the game plan put in place for the match”, confided Dumora .
There has also been a management of the workforce full of relevance, partly facilitated by a qualitatively well-staffed workforce, where even during the European days, with a high turnover, the CO, although defeated each time, maintained its momentum by producing compelling content.
And if in the championship the Castres game does not stir up the crowds, it will have been the “game that wins” defined Barlot. “I find that we master our rugby, that we optimize it, considered manager Pierre-Henry Broncan. Our players are not the best sometimes, but they believe in their rugby, a pressure-defense rugby, it that is to say, playing without the ball, pressing the opponent, putting him at fault and suffocating him. That corresponds to the identity of the club.”
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All while going off the beaten track when necessary: ”And at times, we have flashes, like against Pau, continued Broncan. But be careful, we also have deficiencies. The group is not perfect, but it works hard To get there, we worked like crazy for 26 days. It’s no coincidence either.”
In the Olympian camp, no one presented this status as a leader as an end. “There will be very big teams in the half,” warned the manager. Nothing will be simple, but even if it means being there, you might as well do everything to “go to the end”, to paraphrase Gaëtan Barlot.
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