“It’s a very disappointing ratio from the outside, far below our expectations. It is an admission of weakness which can be explained by many things. » Which Sébastien Piqueronies didn't really have the strength to detail. Saturday in Mayol, their recurrence gave birth to a concentrate of everything that is wrong, with this Section, far from its bases (56-25).
Already far from being flamboyant in his garden, Pau worries even more when he goes abroad, even if the offensive efficiency found in the Harbor alleviates the pain a little (56-25). However, the Section still collected 56 points, after the 49 from La Rochelle and the 39 from Clermont. It had not been so permeable in the championship since the traumatic 83-6 in May 2019 in Toulouse.
Defeated by more than 21 points on average away, at the end of their six away games in the first leg, the Béarnais are not even close to their worst away record (9 pts, in 2015-2016) since their rise (2015). And when things get better on one side, everything gets worse on the other.
” Coward “
Defensively, the progress seen in Perpignan (11-10) and Bordeaux (19-6) was undermined by a sluggish attack. Offensively, Saturday's efficiency in Toulon (56-25), like the proud reaction of La Rochelle (49-25), were obscured by the defensive liquefaction of the Béarnais. Which, like in Clermont (39-7) or more recently in Montpellier, once again gave the impression of having given up. “It’s true that after (the card he received, in the 59th, Editor’s note), we gave up,” agrees Émilien Gailleton.
An old habit that the Section got rid of last year. And it is at this precise point that his case is worrying. She, who only aspires to grow, has never seemed so small outside of her base. 13th attack (13 pts scored on average), 12th defense (34 points conceded), and 13th place overall outside of its bases. Only Paris, always fanny, does worse. “In difficult times, we perhaps try to refocus on receptions,” tries to explain Émilien Gailleton. But the problem is not only “mental”, as the international center wants to believe.
Obviously, the string of injured people (between 10 and 17 during each of the first 12 days) is a strange stone in the Béarnais' crampon. Even if first and foremost, these six failures are the result of crumbly foundations. Defense in general, on the ball in particular, ground play… and above all, the scrum, the perfect incarnation of the Pau problems of the moment.
In difficulty last year, and even more so this year, it concedes 3 penalties on average in exports, and collects barely one per match. This contributes to increasing indiscipline to the tune of 14 penalties per match. This resulted in 16 yellow cards. 11 of them were picked up on the road, or almost two per match. “Indiscipline is starting to seriously handicap us, like our scrum. » A surge of pressure on his front line or a simple observation marked by lucidity? Still, these two sectors condemn Pau and Piqueronies to playing for other ambitions than those they had set for themselves.
Touch of hope
The weeks follow each other and are similar. Above all, they remind us of the urgency linked to the returns of Kaulashvili, Calles, Williams, Tokolahi and Rey. And even if the Pau touch – like a radiant Auradou at Mayol coming off the bench – colors the picture a little, the lack of continuity in the Béarnais' game is getting worse.
On average, the Béarnais have more than eight balls stolen per match in away ground play. For comparison, the Bayonnais, the best scratchers in the Top 14, collect one less on average. As for the Section only obtains 3.5 possessions in the rucks.
And then there are finally the carried balls, on which the Section tends to progress. Not clearly enough, however, to pay, for example, for a first try brought by a maul this season. Defensively, on the other hand, she suffers less… but still a little.
Top 14. Rowing defied reason in Vannes
The second away success of the season, in Vannes, allows the Basques to move into fourth place. But they displayed disconcerting lapses in discipline
As clear as they are fundamental, the areas for progress in Pau are not far to go. Even if sometimes the hardest part is doing the simple things well.
(Dis)Section
Cardboards And to think that at 24-20 in the 52nd minute, we started to believe it again: the Section scored the first points of the 2nd period and validated the choice to have attempted the penalty just before the break to get closer; the machine was started we thought, and then… and then nothing. Yes, a try signed Maddocks (64th), but which weighs little compared to the 32 points passed by the RCT to the Vert et Blanc in 25 minutes. The Paloise Section liquefied, it fell back into its worst failings, indiscipline in particular (14 penalties, two cards), to precipitate its loss, after having made so many efforts to come back.
56 grains conceded in the end, it's been a long time since the Béarnais had brought back so many points from a trip to the Top 14 – less still than the last victory at Mayol in 2006 – it was in May 2019 during the humiliation 83-6 in Toulouse. The following week, the Béarnais validated their maintenance by beating Grenoble (22-0). If on Saturday we will not yet be talking about survival against Vannes, getting back on the path to victory would already be a first step.
Damien Gozioso
