It’s a daring bet. To challenge a Grenoble team which has not lost in its stadium since the accession play-off against Montpellier (18-20) last June, the Agen staff decided to completely change its starting fifteen compared to the one facing in Colomiers (27-18). A choice (necessary) as much to blow the frames, in the middle of a block of six matches, as to revive players returning from injury or lacking playing time. But is it not suicidal to do so in such proportions?
In a stadium where they took 40 points last season (40-3) and where they have not won since 2019 (11-29), the Agenais will pass more than a test of character. “We are going to test whether we have a large group with a lot of depth or not,” warns forwards coach Dave Ryan. This is an opportunity for those who don’t play much. And for us, it’s important to see if whatever players put on the SUA jersey, we always have a lot of consistency, especially up front. »
“Don’t go down level”
Before another big trip to Angoulême and the derby in Armandie against the current leader Montauban, the Agen staff will therefore put the homogeneity of their squad to the test. “In Biarritz, we weren’t good at 23 and we weren’t happy either with the way we finished the match against Colomiers,” emphasizes Dave Ryan. When the replacements come in, they have to bring more, we can’t go down in level. We see that the teams hold together until the hour mark and that the one who finishes best wins the match. »
You still have to be in the game at the hour mark. This will be the challenge that the Agenais will have to face against the “mammoths” of Grenoble. At the foot of the Alps, it’s a trip that nevertheless looks like an impossible mission for the SUA’s “second knives”. But Evan Olmstead’s partners must remember this advice from a certain Jean-Claude Dusse: “Forget that you have no chance, go for it! You never know, a misunderstanding could work. »
The team
SU Agen changes everything. Don’t look for a starter from the last match against Colomiers (27-18) in the SUA starting fifteen this Friday evening in Grenoble, you won’t find one! In the middle of this second block of six matches, the Agen staff decided to rotate their squad. The main executives resting (even if captain Duputs got on the bus to accompany his partners in Isère), priority was given to players returning from injury (Guion, Devergie, Idjellidaine, Garrigues, Purdy, Nalaga) or in lack of playing time (Farrance, De Giovanni, Bonnet, Dayral, Darchen). If you add Hopes Fineanganofo and Randle, the experienced Olmstead – promoted to captain – is almost a “UFO” in this very experimental starting fifteen. Note on the bench the first appearance of hooker Malbert and medical joker Eissmann, but also of the only three starters from last Friday in Agen (Gayraud, Pourteau and Burin).
