the essential
Returning last March from a ruptured cruciate ligament, Romain Ntamack had a successful end to the season with Stade Toulousain by winning the Top 14 and the European Cup. The flyhalf takes stock and looks ahead to the last match of the year, this Sunday January 29 against Stade Français, at the Toulouse Stadium (9:05 p.m.).
Ending the year at the Stadium against Stade Français, does that have a special flavor?
Playing at the Stadium is always special. And the Stade Français, we know the history with the Stade Toulousain. These are always great matches, great posters. It will still be a gala match, but we will have to not fall into the party and stay focused to win.
All the same, it is clear that this season the trajectories between the two clubs are far from equivalent…
It's true, but we must remain focused and vigilant. Stade Français remains a very dangerous team. She finished second in the championship last season, it's a little more complicated this year but she remains complicated to maneuver. So even with the little training we have this week, we hope to be as ready as possible for the fight it will impose on us.
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Is it complicated during this particular period to maintain the same level of intensity and concentration?
No, it feels good to cut when you can. The championship is so dense and tough, we don't have time to rest on our laurels. Some players had a small window of recovery over the past ten days, but we remained on alert. We are lucky to be able to tour during this period, because we are well ranked, but we have to stay focused since the slightest defeat can be detrimental until the end of the season.
You are in the middle of a big block with Stade Français, La Rochelle, the Sharks, Leicester arriving, how are you approaching it?
It's a big block, a very dense moment that must be managed as best as possible every year, because it can completely change the season, for good or for bad. As soon as we managed to manage this period well, the end of the season was rather good, and the year we managed it badly, we had a complicated end to the season.
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What flavor does this year 2024 have for you?
Pretty good, overall. I have good memories of it: there are two titles, a great end to the season, so obviously it's a very good year for me. I hoped to come back as well as possible from my knee injury in 2024, and I achieved my goal instead. However, there was a slight disappointment with the fall tour (injured calf, he did not take part, editor's note).
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Since your return against Perpignan on November 23, how are you feeling?
I feel good. After this injury, I had some problems with my Achilles tendon which slowed me down a little, but over the weeks it passed. Today I feel 100% physically.
