The penultimate match of the first block is already of crucial importance for the Vannes residents. If the contents are not to be called into question, there is a little something missing for things to change. What if it was the kicking game?
First, we had to get rid of the Clermont match, which was not so easy to analyze. Except a priori for Jean-Noël Spitzer, the Vannetais coach: “Sometimes there can be frustration, but quite honestly, given the match we had, we were under the illusion, even if it is true that we went ahead in the 30th minute, we are still close at the 56th, we are still in the match in terms of the score but we are very dominated everywhere, in fact it is a match where we are deluding ourselves.” Too much indiscipline – two yellow cards – and a poorly numerically inferior defense, the step was too high for the Bretons. “We lost a week, that's what I told the players. We wanted to challenge ourselves, that wasn't really the case. You feel like you haven't shown your true colors and to have lost a week of work, we would have had a week of vacation, it would have been the same thing…”
Despite everything, he has a big reason for satisfaction: RC Vannes once again scored three away tries, which reinforces its formidable away average for a promoted team, moreover against Stade français, Toulon, Montpellier and therefore Clermont.
But the “maintenance mission” involves home victories and trying to hold one or two teams in a mini championship for relegation. Castres is not part of this category. Neither did Le Lou and yet Vannes had recorded their only victory of the season against Rhône-Alpins.
An accounting emergency
A path to finding the path to victory? The kicking game, a priori according to Spitzer: “There is a statistic in the Top 14 which specifies that the probability of victory in a match with fewer than 20 kicks is less than 4%. We are obviously not going to just kick the ball, but we beat Lyon by kicking 30 times.” Against Clermont, the Vannes used the kicking game only 18 times. The numbers are stubborn… In Pro D2, Spitzer recalls, the average per match was more than 26 kicks. The return of the left foot of Michael Ruru associated with Maxime Lafage, author of a high-level performance in Clermont, is therefore a good thing for RC Vannes at the time of receiving a contender for the top 6, Castres, still in search of his first away victory. “We expect a big challenge from them, we opened the door by losing against Racing, the signal sent to the other teams would have been different if we had won this match”notes Spitzer. There is an accounting emergency but the Bretons do not want this negative pressure and prefer to concentrate on performance. And the recipe to be developed remains the same, interview against Lou: a full match lasting 80 minutes, iron discipline and defense and as stated above, coherent footwork.
Last element to take into account for this crucial Vannes – Castres, the visit of the Breton technician to the opponent a few days ago. Likely to disturb the players? Jean-Noël Spitzer’s response: “Two years ago, the same visit did not even give rise to an article in the press; it is the media exposure of the Top 14 that wants that. I was very transparent with the leaders who relayed my message. There is a very important match for my club and that is the only thing that matters.”
France
Rugby
