the essential
2nd row and captain of the Crabos of Stade Toulousain, Marceau Marzullo reveals a little of his team’s state of mind as they approach the championship final.
Your semi-final was successful, with a victory and above all three tries scored…
We knew that up front, it would be a big team, with good mauls and a very solid scrum. But by countering them in these phases of play, we could produce our game. We had prepared well for the match and we came out on top.
What can you say about your opponent in the final, CA Brive?
Everyone saw Bordeaux, the big favorite, in the final. And the Brive team played a very great game, even giving them thirty points. Frankly, they are a very good team and there is nothing surprising in seeing them in the final.
Your two confrontations resulted in close matches…
Yes, it was close with a victory for each side in the end. They didn’t have a good match, but we got the defensive bonus. And at home, we weren’t rigorous enough, they in turn get the bonus back.
So how can we approach this very special moment in order to dominate them in the most important match?
The objective this week was to regenerate as quickly as possible, and to be as fresh as possible. The idea is to arrive on Saturday in top form, with maximum energy.
Isn’t the risk, for Stade Toulouse, of being exhilarated by the regularity of these final phases?
No, there is always this emotion of arriving in the final, and of saying to ourselves that we still have one step to take before reaching the top of this Crabos championship. Frankly, it always feels good to say that you have a group of friends who can become the best club of their 2006-2007 generation.
