In this last block before the end-of-year holidays, the USM remains on three consecutive defeats. Facing Oyonnax (Friday 7:30 p.m.) we will therefore have to be sure to stay at the top of the table. Baptiste Mouchous, back and fly-half from Montauban, discusses the challenges of this match.
Against Béziers you replaced Thomas Fortunel at the opening, a position in which you had not yet played under the colors of USM and in which you seemed very comfortable…
Yes, yes, as long as I’m on the pitch, I’m happy anyway. It’s true that it’s been a while since I last played ten. I’m also happy to be able to play in this position again. But in any case, as soon as I’m on the pitch, whether in 10 or 15, it suits me.
With hindsight, how do you analyze this defeat on the ASBH pitch?
It’s not easy to be down by 17 points. We still managed to come back and get back to 20-20. But we collapsed at the end of the match. I think there was room to bring something else. But we have to be consistent over 80 minutes.
Finally, what lessons do you learn from this defeat?
Without ammunition on the conquest, and I’m not talking about the melee, but without several ammunition in touch, it’s hard to develop the game and impose your game, especially away from home. You have to be clean in conquest but above all constant, hold the ball and be efficient. You will need to put the right ingredients.
You insist on this lack of consistency but how do you explain these air gaps during matches?
I think we need to manage to take care of our starts, since the Brive match we haven’t had a good start. We get into trouble and are often led. It’s not possible, we must not be led. Afterwards, we fight to come back but it’s too hard and we break down. Friday, in front of our supporters, it will be essential to take care of the start and have a good match while being consistent throughout.
What kind of match do you expect against Oyonnax?
This is a Top 14 team. I think they are out of place. They are good in all sectors so it will be a difficult match. They will come to win. We need this victory. Oyonnax woke up last weekend. We knew it was going to happen… They have a good squad, perhaps not the same as in the Top 14 but which is very similar to last season so it will be very tough. We continue to work and we want to find victory again. Especially at home, in front of our supporters.
Do you think this is a trap match?
Is this match more of a trap match than against Soyaux-Angoulême? I don’t know. Against Soyaux-Angoulême it was perhaps just as much. I don’t think it’s a trap match. It’s a match that we will have to know how to win. You will have to put in the ingredients to win it. It will be a complicated match, but perhaps not a trap.
Personally, you arrived in the offseason and you integrated very well into the group…
Yes, in the team, things went very well. All the new ones have been well integrated. I feel good within the team. We have a group that lives well where everything goes well. The fact of having had victories at the start of the championship also brought a good general atmosphere so we blend in more easily with the squad.
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