Bad weather didn’t dampen the Alouettes’ enthusiasm during Thursday’s practice. The Montreal squad also intends to have the pedal to the metal for the next week, or even the next month.
The Alouettes (8-8) will begin an important home and away series against the Toronto Argonauts (10-6) on Saturday. Two wins will allow the Alouettes to snatch first place from the Argos. But before thinking about the match of October 29, the formation of Danny Maciocia intends to give everything this Saturday.
“If we lose on Saturday, there’s no more stake,” explained André Bolduc, running backs coach and assistant head coach. It is therefore necessary to spare nothing on Saturday; there’s no game we’re going to hide for next week or guys we’re going to rest: it’s 100 miles an hour! »
Bolduc and Maciocia will also have to call on running back William Stanback on a more regular basis.
“It’s sure: he played 20 repetitions in the first game, 30 in the second. He will be 40 this Saturday, said Bolduc. [On y va] gradually: he is coming back from a serious injury. For me, the important thing is to see him train hard without limping. He’s giving me what I want right now, so we’re going to increase his workload. »
Stanback left Thursday’s practice early, but Maciocia said it wasn’t a health issue.
“William and I had an agreement to [jeudi]. He needed to leave early for an appointment. He will be back tomorrow and in office on Saturday, ”said the coach, who had a touch of humor towards a colleague by assuring him that Stanback was in better shape than him.
Saturday first
On a more serious note, the head coach also talked about the importance of only thinking about the next duel, and not the next two as a whole.
“It’s one at a time. It’s a great opportunity that presents itself to us and it gives nothing to think about games for the return match. If we don’t go for the victory on Saturday afternoon, it doesn’t work [de préparer la semaine suivante]. We are focused on the game that is coming. »
“We can’t win both games this weekend,” added quarterback Trevor Harris. So we want to give ourselves a chance in match noh 18 by winning the noh 17. »
If the Alouettes were to win these last two games, they would benefit from a coveted break in the first round of playoffs.
The Alouettes did not have any injuries, other than those who were absent for last weekend’s game, at practice on Thursday. Barring a bad surprise on Friday, Maciocia should therefore count on the same formation as that of last week, in Ottawa.
David Brown is still used as a starting center and Pier-Olivier Lestage appears to have permanently replaced Philippe Gagnon, who was used as a backup again this week in practice.
The Alouettes and the Argos will meet for the first time since June 16, in Week 2. The Argos then won 20-19, kicker David Côté missing a field goal on the last play of the game.