The bitter defeat of Union Bordeaux Bègles in the Top 14 final against Stade Toulousain (59-3) leaves its mark. Laurent Marti, president of the UBB, spoke candidly via Midi Olympique, recognizing the humiliation suffered by his teamwhile highlighting the particular circumstances that led to this result.
“We played three matches in twelve days“, Marti recalls. The Bordeaux team had to play a play-off on Sunday evening, a semi-final the following Saturday, and finally the final on Friday.”Toulouse, for its part, did not have this barrier and was able to save its forces“, he emphasizes. This management of the workforce was a key factor according to him.
Toulouse have learned lessons from this question of duplicates, they have been able to recruit versatile players, but above all, they have trained young people.
Laurent Marti also points out a difference in management throughout the season.Since the European Cup final, Toulouse has been able to manage its squad, while we have had to battle in each match“, he explains. The president regrets that the UBB did not know how to capitalize on duplicatesunlike their opponents from Toulouse.
Lessons to be learned
“We must not lose sight of the fact that if we do not finish in the top two, it is hard to aim for the title.“, notes Marti. He recalls that no jump-off has been champion since 2018, a sign of the growing difficulty of the Top 14. Despite the bitterness of the defeat, Marti would like to salute the fair play of Toulouse. “They had the courtesy to acknowledge that we were done for in this match.” he says.
“If you compare the playing time of the starting XV of the two teams, I think there is a huge difference.” For the UBB, this defeat is a bitter but constructive lesson. Marti insists on the importance of better managing crucial periods of the season and learn from this experience so as not to repeat the same mistakes.
The future of UBB
Despite this difficult season, Marti remains optimistic about the future. It calls for deep reflection to build a team capable of competing with the best teams in the championship. “We have lessons to learn, but also solid foundations on which to build.“, he concludes.
This final was a cold shower for UBB, but also an opportunity to learn and strengthen itself for future challenges. The Top 14, due to its homogeneity and its length, is unforgiving. And the UBB will hopefully emerge stronger and more resilient.
