Regrets for Aviron Bayonnais, which lost in Toulon (40-25) this Saturday, September 3 at the opening of the championship. A score, which does not really reflect the face of the meeting, against Varois who miss the offensive bonus. But a result that allows Sky and White to confront the harsh reality of the Top 14. The reactions of Guillaume Rouet, Camille Lopez and manager Grégory Patat.
Guillaume Rouet, scrum half: “In the Top 14, unlike the Pro D2, as soon as we make a mistake, it’s paid for in cash. All our lost balls in the 2nd half cost us points. It’s up to us to quickly erase all these mistakes. If we want to hope to bring back points away and even at home next weekend, against Racing. We have to learn, but learn quickly because we have ten games in a row.
When we see our excess of energy to crash a try, and they score too easily. We’re going to have to improve our camp outings. Each time we scored, we took fire behind. It did not allow us to be able to hope in this match. We will also have to try to hold the ball as much as possible. Because by dint of defending, of suffering, we expose ourselves, and we have seen it, we have taken gusts, it hurts […] We were however good in the first period, but we saw that, as the match progressed, we lowered our flag. We suffered all the tackles, on all the balls carried. From there, it is sure that it is difficult to resist. Especially since Toulon was at the end behind. We never managed to lift our heads in the second half because we made too many technical errors.”
Camille Lopez, opening half: “Cruel, I don’t know if we can say that. Toulon did the job and deserved their victory. Obviously, given the face of the match and some things we were able to achieve, it would have been good if we brought a little something. It wouldn’t have been undeserved either. We discovered the high level. The Top 14 is made up of small details. Today, there are far too many against us. There are good things until the 53ᵉ minute and even in the first half, but overall there are small things that are wrong.
We managed to score. We do things well and behind each kick-off, we miss the reception. We don’t have a good exit from the camp, at any time, you validate and you let this Toulon team get back into the match, come to your place at the kick-off. One penalty, 3 points. A penalty touch, five points, or seven. We score this try at the start of the 2nd half and we say to ourselves “it’s now that we have to press, we can try to put their heads under water and you don’t never do.” At no time are you able to validate points that you score […] It’s the high level and we have to learn quickly. Casually, we took 40. We certainly put 25, but in the end it’s zero points. And every weekend, we’re going to meet a steamroller. Racing, next Saturday, you have to learn quickly to score points.”
Gregory Patat, manager: “The Top 14, we know it. To win away games, especially in Toulon, against a team that will target the Brennus, you have to be precise. It’s all about details. We gave ourselves the right to believe it for 50 minutes. And we have an opportunity five meters in their line that we don’t take to drive the point home. You see the damage it does when you take a yellow card. You take three tries. We take the Toulon tide because at 14, it’s too complicated. But it’s a shame, because until this 50th minute, we mastered the subject, we were in front.
When we had the ball, was interesting. When we had possession, we hurt them every time and we were very pragmatic. We scored almost on every opportunity, but there were also 10-15 minutes in the first half during which we were weaned off the ball, put under pressure and we weren’t able to clinch them. The fault in particular with the referrals. They had targeted that area. We couldn’t find the answer with Gaétan, lonely. Ollivon quickly came to put him under pressure. We will use the experience so that it does not happen in the future.”
Rowing will receive Racing 92 at Jean Dauger on Saturday September 10, for the 2nd day of Top 14.