If the maintenance of USA Perpignan probably does not suit Bayonne, there is a player who comes from the Basque Country for whom we can rejoice. And not just any: Mathieu Acebes, the captain of Perpignan. The three-quarter, trained in Boucau-Tarnos who also evolved under the jersey of Aviron Bayonnais of Biarritz Olympique, evokes this end of the season, the maintenance, what he has become at Aimé Giral and the trip to come Bayonne next season.
First Top 14 club to win the play-off
“We had pressed on this perhaps historic fact before the match, because it is always nice to be the first to have done something. Others will undoubtedly do it in the future if the formula remains like this. We were prepared and we responded to this match. We have simply been realistic for several weeks, when we were 13th. We saw Brive 7 points ahead of us. There was little chance of staying directly and this match of accession was reaching out to us. It could have smiled on us, last week, during the reception of Bordeaux-Bègles, but Paris lost against Brive. We have what we deserve, we should probably have had more points in the season to keep the cards in hand on this last day of the championship. It was not the case, it was our fault and we had to assume this play-off match and the ambitions that the club had, to stay in Top 14.”
Usapist fervor
“After the game at Mont-de-Marsan, we had the impression of celebrating a title, with this invasion of the field when it was only a maintenance. This shows the passion, the popular support that there is around this club. We are all aware of the very strong fervor, of what Usap in the department, for all the people who live there. It’s a special place to play rugby, and these supporters really give us strength. It was a real pleasure to see this happiness in the eyes of all these people, it’s still something strong. We deserved to be able to celebrate this maintenance. Now the break is necessary, not to think about anything else, release the pressure. We will be able to go on a tourist trip to Barcelona and Ibiza (laughs).”
The way people look at me has changed.
The “one club” player
“It’s funny. It makes me feel weird because I had a full-back career before Perpignan. I played for a few clubs and it’s true that everyone hides the fact that I was a player for Bayonne. , from Biarritz, from Auch, in the Gers for three seasons and from Pau, for four seasons. I was really good, each time, in all these clubs. But it’s true that today I the impression of having spent most of my career in Perpignan, whereas it is especially at the end of my career. I enjoy it, it is a unique club and an old club, a unique club and a club that will have marked my career, my life. Today, I am the first surprised by these always sympathetic returns of the Catalan supporters, towards me. Sometimes, I do not feel legitimate because I have the impression not to have changed. When I was at the Boucau-Tarnos Stade, in Bayonne, Biarritz, in Pau, in Auch, I always remained the same and I didn’t change anything. But I have the impression that the look g ens has changed towards me. It’s something that’s nice, but sometimes also makes me a little uncomfortable because I’m just a simple rugby player.”
His return to Bayonne next year
“I hope so! Because Bayonne is such an important club in my eyes. I was born in Bayonne, my family grew up in Bayonne. On my dad’s side, we lived on rue Maubec, my uncles were fishermen from l’Adour and my whole family is in Bayonne. It’s an important place for me, I grew up there, until the age of 12 in rue Bourg-neuf. It’s my city. I’m I was born there so I’m happy to be back.”
The full interview with Mathieu Acebes in 100% Rugby.