He is one of Dauger’s oldest. Joël Rey, forwards coach Bayonne
since 2017, evokes the reception of Perpignan
this Saturday, October 22, on behalf of the eighth day of Top 14
. He also talks about the group of forwards he has on a daily basis, the evolution of a Swan Cormenier. The pillar he saw disembarking from Albi in 2019, before confirmation this season.
“In front, a fine selection of needy people”
“I prefer this puzzle than the reverse, when we have fewer people and you only have one starting team. At the pillars, everyone wants to play and wants to put a little pressure on us. And I pay tribute to the enthusiasm of all the players in the team, especially the pack of forwards, because we don’t have any big names or known players, apart from Facundo (Bosch, editor’s note) who played in the Top 14. For everything else, they are hardworking, hardworking. The guys show that they can really fight at this level and that’s what makes it fun. It’s a selection of guys from Pro D2, but a nice selection. Honestly, it’s responding. I want it to last as long as possible and there’s no reason. They’re in on it, they’re ready. Already, they don’t take the lead and they don’t have the melon, that’s for sure. They are really good guys.
Swan (Cormenier), for example, I am very happy for him, because he started at a lower level. He was in Federal 1, Federal 2. And that gives hope. What I appreciate and there is this kind of history in rugby, fortunately, there are boys who are now amateurs and maybe in two or three years they will be able to play at the level above. That gives hope. It’s really good. Swan continues to progress, he holds the road and he works hard to improve certain aspects of his game. We are not going to put too much on him. But it’s not bad, right? He has worked well in recent years, but it’s true that.”
“Against Perpignan, take matters into your own hands”
“We have to win. There is no other choice. The start of the season is correct, especially in terms of results. Now, if we can push Perpignan a little further from us, that’s always taken since we are talking about a direct competitor. Perpignan will arrive with the desire to make us doubt. So for us, as we said Greg Patat, we will have the status of favorite. It’s just a word. Afterwards, It’s on the pitch that we’ll show if we’re much better. We have to accept what we’ve done so far. We’ve played against teams that are better than us. But it’s to show that we can be better than Perpignan and show our game. So far, we have fought a lot, we have shown good movements at given times. We have to assume the fact of playing and imposing. It is true that the teams like La Rochelle, Racing, UBB, we tried to push them back a bit far, with our feet, we tried to counter them. And when we had two or three points, we played. But there, he goes we have to take matters into our own hands. It’s a different status, but you have to accept it and you have to show it. We have to cross a threshold.
Greg (Patat) and Gerard (Fraser) brought this touch to the game, which allows us to keep a bit of the Bayonne state of mind, this desire to push the ball away. And in the brand area, we are quite rough and efficient. These are things that have been worked on a lot at the very beginning of the season, with the forwards, without neglecting the three-quarter game. You have to have both because you won’t always come across the same opponents. I believe that in front, there will be times when we will be well countered, so the three-quarters have already shown us, with Camille (Lopez) and our wingers, that they could pass above or behind the defenses. But now, what I like is that we really adapt to the team we make. And again this weekend, it will be the key word. Adapt to Perpignan, impose, show what we can do, what we have worked on. What awaits us this weekend is a bit in the same temperament as us.”
Bayonne, Brive, Pau and Perpignan with 4 points
“I prefer to have these points in advance. It does us good. It allows us to continue to progress. If we have this lead, we must keep it. We must always continue to progress. It is up to us to do everything to stay ahead It will only be more beneficial for us, then especially for the head, because we are in a championship where you have the impression that everything is going well and the following weekend, it can hurt a lot. So let’s keep what is our strength right now, this mentality, this game, these four points. In a few months perhaps, they will be welcome.”
► The entire interview with Joël Rey, HERE