Baptiste Couilloud, a cunning and decisive scrum-half for Lyon

“What mattered tonight was this title. What you have to remember is the collective performance”, modestly tempered scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud when we saluted his evening performance against Toulon. It must be said that Lou’s scrum-half did not go unnoticed during his team’s victory (30-12) against the RCT in the Challenge Cup final on Friday, May 27.

“We were irreproachable in conquest against one of the biggest packs in Europe. The individual performance also stems from what is happening in front and from my teammates.”

Baptiste Couilloud, scrum-half for Lyon

at the post-match press conference

Certainly, the players playing in his position, guarantor of the continuity of the game and sticking to the ball, take the light more easily than others, but the native of Lyon was not designated man of the meeting by the EPCR for nothing. As trickster as space swallower, as inspired as sometimes overtaken by a certain haste, Baptiste Couilloud is in the image of his team: generous, sometimes too much, but this time the coin fell on the right side and the initiatives paid off. .

With three defenders beaten, 11 runs, 147 meters covered – he is the second player with the most ball in hand along with his team-mate and winger Davit Niniashvili – the Lyonnais never stopped challenging the defense and advancing his crew. Couilloud was simply in all the good shots, sometimes at their origin (like this ball quickly played for Niniashvili’s refused try, 40+1), sometimes at the conclusion (try refused from 56 s into play or on his try at the 8th minute, where he offers after a raise), sometimes in support of his teammates to ensure the continuity of the ball.

Add to that, valuable management on foot to ward off danger and here you find the ingredients for a top-flight performance, from a player to a key position. A crucial performance to win a title. And the Lyonnais does not intend to stop there: “It was important for us to go for a title. Somehow, we put Lyon on the European Rugby Cup map. The seasons are long, it’s very difficult to achieve, but I hope the best is yet to come.”

If they want to extend the party this season by reaching the final stages of the Top 14, the Lyonnais are condemned to win against La Rochelle on the last day of the championship.


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