Rowing Bayonnais can harbor regrets. After leading for 50 minutes in Paris, the Sky and White lost against Stade Français (26-16) this Saturday, September 17, on behalf of the 3rd day of Top 14. The reactions of Camille Lopez, the captain, Pierre Huguet, the 3rd line and the manager Grégory Patat.
Camille Lopez, opening half: “We made two outings on the outside and we took zero points, on matches where there were things to do. Without disrespecting the Stade Français today there was room. We may not have two chances like that. Because it wasn’t very flamboyant in terms of play. It’s not the best rugby match we’ve seen. We only know that we had the opportunity to do something. In the end, it’s zero points for us and four for them. We were very good in collisions, our forwards did a lot of work, especially in the first half, we defended our line, we were united, we put a huge heart into it, etc. These are good points. But that won’t be enough. There are too many approximations. As I said on certain sectors… in the first half when we come, we don’t put them under enough pressure. And in the 22 meters, we scratch a ball, they leave their homes too easily. In the 2nd half Sireli (Maqala) goes into touch, we are on the verge of scoring, in the end, we score three points, but it is not enough to put their heads under water.
The more we have the ball, the better.
-Camille Lopez
We have to do things better. In Toulon, we had dropped out because of our lack of discipline. After the box, we had exploded. Today, I take my box (66th) and it makes us worse. The same errors are reproduced. We can’t, I can’t afford mistakes like that.
There are positive points and we will use them to continue because the road is long. But I think we have to be uncompromising with us, if we want to try to take points in the standings. We don’t have a lot of possessions, but on the little we had, we were effective. This is a point of improvement that we need to work on. We are too approximate on the holding of the ball. We manage to break the line in the first half, but we are too impatient. We go to midfield, we throw the ball around a bit, we want to get it over with right away, but we have to learn how to build our actions. The more we have the ball, the better it will be because defending, yes, we had 95% of successful tackles, but in the end, you end up wearing yourself out and it lets go.
Pierre Huguet, 3rd row: “It’s very frustrating because we put the ingredients at the level of the state of mind but behind it rocks because of a sum of details. We will have to learn quickly to get points. Not everything is not to be thrown away, but there are a lot of points to correct. Considering the heart that we put into it, we do not get paid. The minimum would have been to go and get a point. We ease off on these ends of matches, and that costs us points. Because we also defended a lot, we put a lot of energy at the start of the match, we left some at the end. It’s up to us to score and be more surgical when the opportunities arise to avoid these defensive sequences that wear us out.
Encouraging defeats, at the end of the season, it does not help much.”
– Pierre Huguet
Positive? We were able to show what makes our DNA, our state of mind and the heart that we want to put into each match, the intensity. Overall, our defensive performance until the 65th minute, rather positive. And even though many were just starting out, there are no excuses. If we are there, it means that we have the level to be there. You have to get up there as quickly as possible, it’s the least you can do. We were able to show that we knew how to do things, that we deserved to be in this group. But you will have to learn quickly. Because encouraging defeats, at the end of the season, don’t help much.”
Gregory Patat: “There is a lot of frustration with the result. We did not have possession (25%), a lot of waste in touch (six lost) which did not allow us to have content and continuity in the game. The few balls we have in the first period, we throw them. Admittedly, there was a lot of courage and spirit in defending our line, but if we want to take points, that won’t be enough. Especially since we realize that when we have the ball, we are interesting. We created chances. And overall, my team was very brave, defended well on the line. Stade Français banged on the door and wanted to break the lock. We managed to defend. The paradox is on our possessions that we give up, on a scrum for us. That’s good, but more needs to be done.
Everyone was worried in Bayonne for the position of right pillar…
– Gregory Patat
We have a turning point in the 68th minute. The break, we thought we would do it, with Sireli Maqala, but there was 50 cm offside. If Sirli is behind Gaetan Germain’s feet, we score and we validate all the work of the group. We will take positives from it, do not lower our heads from the 3rd day. We are a young group, 20 new… The slightest grain of sand is harmful. It is in the construction of our history. I’d rather lose tonight, with a lot of frustration and zero points, but delivering this content than having a total resignation from the players.
Among the satisfactions? Everyone was in Bayonne for the position of pillar rights. Pieter Scholtz was successful, Pascal Cotet also last week. Tevita Tatafu is barely 20 years old and full of promise. We have a series of ten games. The Top 14 is a marathon. We had to inject new blood.”