As soon as the victory acquired at Anoeta against La Rochelle (37-7), you recalled that Aviron had won nothing and were already talking about this match against Racing…
Maybe it’s the experience. Relaxation in this championship is impossible. If we want to progress compared to previous years, we must validate good performances and try to confirm them. It’s the hardest. But it is a necessary step if we want to take points and try to grab places at the top. La Rochelle doesn’t have to be a flash. We will relax during the holidays (Editor’s note, November 4).
Is this a warning?
We have to savor Sunday but we know the importance of the Racing reception. I know the opponent well: relaxing would clearly not be the right solution.
“When you have Manu Tuilagi, Sireli Maqala, Carreras, Hodge… If we work well, we can be capable of performing at a high level. But we have to do it over time”
The last two lost matches of the last season, once you had maintained your position, left you with regrets. Want to prevent this from happening again?
This group really has qualities. With this squad, this growing club, it would be a shame to settle for maintenance. Once again, you have to be very humble. The goals are more content than ranking. But with the growing squad and our very experienced players, we have nothing to envy of the big clubs. When you have Manu Tuilagi, Sireli Maqala, Carreras, Hodge… And up front, we are strong and ready to conquer. We wouldn’t have the resources, it would be difficult, but there… If we work well, we can be capable of performing at a high level. But you have to do it over time. And the culture of the very high level is not yet anchored in Bayonne because the club has been yo-yoing in recent years. Players like me, Camille (Lopez), Manu… can bring that. We played final stages or high-level matches. We can tell ourselves in our heads that we are capable of competing with the best and not have an inferiority complex on the outside. While remaining very humble.
How do you view your former club?
It’s a special club. He is an opponent who is very difficult to maneuver, who has changed a lot since I left, but I know the state of mind of the players who make him up. It’s always a little weird. It’s hard to read this Racing. There is a new staff, new ways of playing, new players who perhaps bring more pragmatism to their game… But there remains the culture of winning, of high level, of performance, with a center of training where young people develop in the best conditions. There is still a soul with players like Henry (Chavancy), Gaël (Fickou), Antoine Gibert… They are a little disappointed not to play at the Arena. They spoke to me about this start of the season in Créteil, in a somewhat special atmosphere. They prefer to play away rather than at home at the moment. We saw it with their match in Castres (31-28), their victory in Vannes (24-27). We will have to be wary of this team.
“I no longer have this attraction to the line that I didn’t really have before”
You will have an 8th match in 8 days, with four starts, including three in a row. We feel liberated after two complicated first seasons…
I feel in great shape. I’m talking about the physical but also about rugby. At my age, my game is not going to change. I try to evolve on a daily basis but the most important thing is to be physically as fit as possible to perform well in this tough championship. Mentally, it’s very important to feel good, and I do. You can also feel it on the pitch. I put a lot of effort into this.
You also score more tries: two this season and five in five months, as many as in the previous 37 months. How do you explain it?
It wasn’t essential before, but as I see that number 9s score a lot of tries, I analyzed it. I worked a little more on my running, my speed and my acceleration to be more supportive. For example, when Sireli, Giovanni or Matéo break through (against La Rochelle), I am the first to support. I try to be there at the right time. This requires enormous physical effort. (Baptiste) Couilloud scores a lot of tries because there is no one better than him in speed and VMA. Antoine Dupont also because he has the quality of speed and anticipation. He feels the game. And physically, he is at the top. When he goes shopping, he knows where the game is going to go. With his explosiveness, he manages to beat defenders on support runs. This is what I try to add to my game.
Is this additional motivation?
Let’s say that scoring makes you want to score. This hasn’t happened to me often during my career. Last year, twice at the end of the season at Racing and against Castres… I no longer have this attraction to the line that I didn’t really have before. I preferred to score. Now, that requires analysis and moving quickly. And I don’t go very fast anymore (laughs). We must make these efforts. It’s hard because you’re going to be burned out in the next action but if you score, you can recover. Sometimes it’s for nothing and you’re in trouble. In Pau, when I concluded this 70 meter test, it was because I wanted to be Nadir’s (Megdoud) first support. At first, I didn’t know I was going to score. These are little things. It requires being attracted to the advantage line. And it proves that you can always improve.
