The hundredth consecutive sold-out match at Stade Rochelais, against a more than experimental Toulouse, should allow the maritime club to do itself some good. While waiting for other more revealing tests.
This event, the leaders and fans of Stade Rochelais have had it on their calendar for months, even years: the maritime club will celebrate, this Saturday, its 100th consecutive wicket – excluding partial gauge matches. This formidable series, launched on January 2, 2016 during an innocuous match against Castres Olympique, says a lot about the fervor aroused by the caravel on its land and its growing aura everywhere else. To mark the occasion, the maritime club will treat itself to an undoubtedly memorable moment of self-congratulation with a pyrotechnic festival, light shows and dance show.
If it is more than justified in view of the accomplishment, this celebration comes at a very funny time. Because Toulouse, the distinguished guest acclaimed for the occasion, will not have much to do, so to speak, on paper, with the armada which achieved the double last season; but above all because this Stade La Rochelais has rarely asked as many questions as at this moment. The former European champion – who has only pocketed five points over the last four days – constitutes an enigma, for its supporters and for observers: halfway through the season, we still do not know what to think of the O'Gara gang who had announced many things last summer – better preparation, newfound determination , a rugby that is better controlled – and which is still far from keeping all its promises.
A month of hell behind…
The Maritimes are barely meeting their minimum objective, namely a place in the top 6. And again, their qualifying position must be put into perspective: with seven receptions for six trips before this weekend, their British ranking is painfully at the bottom. balance, similar to those of Montpellier and Racing 92… The content is at least as contrasted and, over time, it becomes disorienting. Conquest, defense, line play: as the weeks go by, the problems pass from one to the other, preventing Alldritt and company from moving forward with serenity and certainty. Most of those that have emerged in recent weeks have hardly been encouraging: as one might fear, this team lacks pep in its back lines and its collective is not as homogeneous as we thought. Ronan O'Gara recognized it with a grimace from the corridors of Aimé-Giral: “Some players didn’t seize the opportunity, they weren’t up to the level. That’s how it is.”
That said, La Rochelle has a good chance of winning this weekend: because it is a reaction team with sufficiently solid arguments to re-mobilize and because Toulouse is more overhauled than ever. But whatever happens, what happens this weekend will in no way solve the local problem. And we will have to wait a month to learn more about the 2024-2025 version of the Stadium, to know what it has deep down and what it is truly capable of producing: after the shock against Leinster, the Yellow and Black will successively go to Treviso, Toulon and Lyon. The moment of truth is approaching. In the meantime, let's party.
Seuteni, ideas and genius
Against Clermont, two weeks ago, the 16,700 spectators at Deflandre especially shuddered with fear. They still had a thrill of pleasure, once again offered by UJ Seuteni: in the 17th minute, the center – also author of a crossing in addition to three beaten defenders – had infiltrated with grace and dexterity at the heart of the Auvergne defense before placing Teddy Thomas in a winning interval. Few players are able to combine class and efficiency in this way. Her partners never stop praising her view as much as they bless her: “It feels good to have a guy like that behind who unlocks situations, with the runs he has, the support, his ability to break tackles”describes Jules Favre. Rémi Tales abounds: “Defensively and offensively, he's our him in the professional world when he is at this level, I become a better coach, I'm not going to lie to you. We still have to congratulate him and encourage him to stay at this level. From there to talking about Seuteni dependence within the maritime rear lines, there is only one step that the three-quarter performance in Perpignan last Sunday would almost encourage us to take for good. And all maritime supporters send the same prayer at the start of the year: may the mind and body continue to follow this talent as pure as it is fragile.
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