Castres-Bordeaux: “There was a sense of awareness”… In scrum, the CO can rely on solid foundations

Beyond putting fuel back into the confidence tank before the arrival of Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday, the performance against Munster a week ago underlined the good health of the Castres scrum. After blowing hot and cold on each of its outings, particularly during the two previous years, the Olympian pack has displayed a certain regularity since the start of the season. The “work of the specialty coach Karena Wihongi”, assures manager Jeremy Davidson, has something to do with it, it is true. But the overall dynamic also comes from the workforce. “There was a sort of awareness,” said Tarn pillar Quentin Walcker. “Everyone plays their role properly. And no one wants to do two jobs simultaneously.”

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If the manager highlights the significant contribution of elements such as Will Collier, he also does not fail to praise the “osmosis between the forwards”. A stronger, more coherent understanding than recently. “Before, it wasn’t that we were scattered, but we were younger. The group is starting to get older, and getting better. We learned during each season, each offseason, and our own view of ourselves- same, has changed”, notes Walcker.

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“More trust in each other”

As well as the confidence that the forwards have in each other. The collective experience has a lot to do with it. “We have more confidence in each other, recognizes the left-hander. This is essential. Before, we perhaps looked behind us a little, we were careful and in the end, we lost ourselves, individually, in our own job. I really feel that no matter who comes in behind, we know very well that the rest of the job will be done well.”

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A fairly meaningful observation on the part of the pillar, but which also expresses the path traveled by him and his teammates, if only in the space of one season. The difficult times we went through have forged the characters and the group. And offered a good foundation to a found scrum.