Win, to avoid being left behind. This is the goal of Aviron Bayonnais who, after the two points of the draw brought back from Agen last Thursday, are preparing to play two matches at home. Grenoble in ten days, but before that Aurillac, this Friday at Jean Dauger (7:30 p.m.). Two receptions, to glean as many points as possible. In order not to be left behind by the leading duo, Mont-de-Marsan and Oyonnax. Jean Monribot, the 3rd row, one of the Bayonne captains was the guest of 100% Rugby on France Bleu Pays Basque.
Jean Monribot: We have already beaten this Aurillac team (20-28 on the way to Cantal, September 3). But it’s true that outside I feel our team more liberated with, as a result, good performances. Even in Colomiers where we lose at the end, and that’s a shame. We left some points on the way even though we are having a really good game by offering play, so we have to persevere in the work and also on this psychological side. But Aurillac, of course, remains a team within our reach and I hope that we will receive them properly.
In front of Mont-de-Marsan and Oyonnax seem to be on hell. How to manage this struggle more or less from a distance?
In this return phase it will be a huge fight, in the continuity of the start of the season. Three teams (Mont-de-Marsan, Oyonnax, Bayonne, editor’s note) which are in the lead, it’s surprising to say the least, we compete halfway. And what is funny is that counting we are about the same level as the teams which were in first place in D2 in recent seasons at mid-championship. This year, the level is really raised at the top of the table by Pro D2. But, we must hang on. And the more we advance in the return phase, the more the points will cost. Especially since I can not imagine a team to let go now in front. They will not go down. They are also at the maximum of their potential, of what they can do and this is sufficiently rare in recent years. But compared to this situation, I think we have to really focus on our course. We have so much progress to be made again. We are not satisfied with our game, our matches, and there is still this return phase to continue working, why not play three or even two more matches.
Can you find any explanation for the fact that you have alternated the good and the bad since the start of the season?
Already, at the start of the season, we were stuck with a label of favorite, of leader of the championship … In the forecasts, it is obligatory, Rowing will rise to Top 14.
The president of the club also set her goals, to climb …
But this team never had that role, that label. We played the maintenance in Top 14 two years ago. During the climb, three seasons ago in Yannick Bru’s first year, it was not Rowing that had the label of leader. So it’s something new, at least for us, for this team. I think that unconsciously, this team with players who do not have too much experience of that, these players have put themselves the pressure in relation to this expectation of result. The pressure to do well on the game, on all the parameters that make up a season. And we really feel it in Jean-Dauger where we have trouble freeing ourselves. It changes away matches, so for me, the psychological side plays an important role, at least in this first leg. I dare to hope now that we will try to free ourselves and try to finish with a flourish. This team is gaining momentum, in any case, I firmly believe in it because there is a real desire, from the players and the staff, to finish this season well.
In this block, there are still the receptions of Aurillac, Grenoble before a trip to Nevers. Have you set yourself an accounting or form of play goal?
No. We all know below that this block is really very, very important. There are only four matches. Our direct competitors are also moving to the big ones (Stade Montois in Nevers and against Narbonne, Oyonnax in Carcassonne then against Nevers). At the end of this block, I think that we will see it a little clearer and and I dare to hope, with these two home matches, that we will make a trip to Nevers to get a little closer to its first two places or even occupy one of the two.
Dolhagaray returns to the club
The Aviron Bayonnais announced at the beginning of the week the return to the club of the opener Thomas Dolhagaray, in order to compensate for the injury to the back of the opener Maxime Lafage (contracted during the draw at Agen), removed from the field between two and three months approximately.
Passed by Larressore, before arriving in Bayonne, Dolhagaray was loaned since the start of the season to Carcassonne, club with which he played nine matches, including five as a starter. Dolhagaray is already applying for a place in the squad that will play Aurillac on Friday.