Times are tough in Béarn. The difficulties keep coming, and the Section is struggling to get back on track. The injured are accumulating in the infirmary, the game is no longer as well oiled as in the past. The greens are gradually falling in the rankings and are now in a worrying 13th place.
How did we get there?
At mid-season, Sébastien Piqueronies certainly did not imagine being in penultimate place in the rankings. Only four points separate the Béarnais from the Vannetais, in other words a victory. The Section is therefore in difficulty and is looking forward to a tense year in 2025.
An overflowing infirmary
This situation did not happen by chance, the Greens no longer count their number of injured. The infirmary contains a full team with no less than fifteen players on the sidelines for several weeks. And the situation doesn't seem to be getting better. This weekend, to be precise, 17 players will be missing.
Among them, staff executives and technical leaders who usually carry the team. Behind, Laporte, Manu and Klemenczak are in care. But above all, the nugget Théo Attissogbe (knee sprain), injured in the fall with the XV of France. Accustomed to relying on its young shoots, Piqueronies, suffers from their absence, the Pau game also.
In front, it's the same lemonade. Long absent, Beka Gorgadze, the heavyweight of the pack, recently finally returned to the field. But Rey, Whitelock, Picquette, Kaulashvili and Jolmès are affected. So many fewer options for the Béarnais staff to build the team.
Beyond simple absences, it is the consequences that pose problems. Several absentees from the same position mean less squad depth and therefore less rest. Some players are forced to continue without pause, especially in the second and third row, the most affected positions. When we know the importance of these positions in modern Rugby, we better understand the current situation of the club.
TOP 14. Loyal to the Paloise Section: this executive pushes back the giants of the Top 14 to extend!
Even if absences do not explain everything, they are a large part of the Pau problem. We must also give this young squad time to build themselves and find collective benchmarks. But high-level rugby cannot wait and the Section must absolutely get out of this situation, under penalty of fighting to maintain until the 26th day.
The reception of Vannes at Le Hameau (Saturday, 2 p.m.) will be decisive for the rest of the season. A victory would give a breath of fresh air to Émilien Gailleton's partners.
