But no time to think: the Béarnais are already diving back into the whirlwind of the Top 14 with the reception, Saturday (4 p.m.), of a Clermont in full euphoria, freshly qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions Cup and firmly established in 4th place of the Top 14. A crucial meeting in the race to maintain for the Vert et Blanc, 11th with only two points ahead of Stade Français, play-offs.
Two stadiums, two atmospheres
On Saturday, the contrast seemed striking between the two teams. On one side, Clermontois galvanized by their qualification snatched well beyond added time (86th) against Bristol (33-26), on the other, the stunned Palois who had just let slip a victory which gave them the arm, still leading 28-19 ten minutes from time but seeing the uninhibited Welsh roll over them to score two tries.
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“These are things that we have already experienced, I don’t understand. It must be mentally that we must be weaker at the end of matches,” cursed center Eliott Roudil after the match.
Boosted by their success on the field of a weak Newport team (15-24), eight days ago, the Palois see their confidence fall to the lowest level after this collapse on Saturday. “The weeks are obviously less cool for us after a defeat. At the 70th, we would have had a beer. There, it's the grimace soup. The heads are down. And we have a big reception on Saturday against Clermont. At the same time, it's the Top 14, you never really have time to breathe. We will quickly have to raise our heads,” warned the captain of the Section in the Challenge Cup.
“I have the feeling that a team was born this evening, when we have this desire to play together, to eat the guys in front”, Christophe Urios, coach of Clermont.
The Clermontois appetite
On the first leg, on September 7, Pau took on water at Michelin (39-7) for its debut in the championship. Saturday, the return will be crucial for the Béarnais who have already lost twice at home in the Top 14, against Toulouse and against Racing. They were counting on this Challenge Cup break to gain momentum, gaining a good dose of confidence and certainty. It's a failure, the fragility of Pau, so often observed in recent months to preserve or seek a result, has resurfaced.
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Conversely, ASM arrives at Le Hameau buoyed by positive momentum following its narrow success against Bristol (33-26). The words of Christophe Urios, to AFP, after the qualification, resonate like a warning: “I have the feeling that a team was born this evening, when we have this desire to play together, to eat the guys in face”.
-The Clermontois, already victorious twice away this season (Lyon and Vannes), are relying on their traditional strong points to confirm their return to the forefront: the power of their forwards and devastating ball carries, already at the forefront. origin of eight attempts in Top 14.
Progress to be confirmed
Among the positive points, the Section showed clear progress in the conquest sector, and particularly in scrum, during its two European matches. Facing the Ospreys, the Béarnais developed a pragmatic Rugby style, based on direct play, clever kicking and great aggression in the air, without exploiting this profitable vein to the end.
But, more than tactics, it is the mental dimension which will be decisive on Saturday. “High-level sport is up to the 80th. And above all, it’s full of small details that you have to master,” underlined Brandon Fajardo, head coach during this Challenge Cup interlude. Faced with these solid Auvergnats, the Palois will have to deliver a consistent game, until the end, even after the siren. “What should motivate us is to play rugby that allows us to win. When we have found solutions, we must exploit them to the end,” insisted the technician.
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Fortunately, the Pau staff will be able to count on the return of many executives to breathe a little more serenity and experience into the Béarnais collective. Just to avoid serving as a main course for Jaunards who died of starvation.
Eliott Roudil expected in Vannes
Captain of the Paloise Section in the Challenge Cup this season, center or winger Eliott Roudil should leave Béarn at the end of the season, according to our colleagues at Midi Olympique. At the end of his contract in June, the 28-year-old from Nantes could bounce back at Vannes, bottom of the Top 14, next season. Several Pro D2 teams are also in the running to secure the services of this reliable and resilient player.
Arriving in Pau in 2020 from La Rochelle, the center has played 61 matches in all competitions for nine tries scored. Extended for a season last summer, Eliott Roudil has had a string of injuries since his cruciate knee ligament rupture on January 7, 2023. Returning to form last summer, the three-quarter is little used this season with 4 sheets of match in Top 14 and 4 starts in Challenge Cup.
