Before Christophe Urios’ men travel to Perpignan on June 5 for the last day of the regular phase, the hopefuls therefore attack the final phases of their Elite championship. The boss of the Ceva Campus, the UBB training center, Frédéric Garcia is the guest of 100%UBB
France Bleu Gironde: the hopes are opposed to the Stade Rochelais, is it an opportunity to avenge the “great”?
Frédéric Garcia: Yes, that’s the story of that match. In any case, we are very happy to be in the quarter-finals and we know that supporters will be able to come to Blaye and then the Rochelais often come in large numbers too, so I think it will be a very good day.
For UBB hopefuls, is being in the quarter-finals something that happens every season or is it exceptional?
Qualification is often present with us. Our objective is to bring out professional players, but in this competition we have to wear our colors as high as possible, and for its young players a quarter-final is always part of the training.
How many young players in the training center?
We have 30 players who are under contract with the club. But the hope pole is 45 players who train all year round with a lot of rotations. Boys who also played in the premiere who will come back down to bring us their experience. It’s the work of 45 players, that’s why we really want to do well, to be able to show that we have worked well, that the guys have worked well and to reward all the boys who brought us to quarter-finals.
Do you have to keep them ready to help the Top 14 pro team at almost any moment?
Yes exactly. It’s part of the job. Boys who train all week with the first team come to see the training sessions and the matches of the hopefuls, also often play with us. So there, boys like Pierre Bochaton or Gatien Massé who will play with us on Sunday, know their teammates and were also present during training to encourage them.
Those who know the Top14 speak in the locker room in these cases, with a leadership role?
They are leaders by example, because they join us, they will show on the field that they are. They are focused on themselves, on performance and that what happens around the field does not affect them. They will train others like that.
The hopefuls will therefore try to show the way to the 1/2 final to their elders. See you on Sunday May 29 at 3:00 p.m. at the Bernard-Delord stadium in Blaye to encourage the hopes of the UBB.