Bastien Chalureau (Montpellier): “We lied to each other a little between players”

“Did this victory against Lyon last Saturday (41-26) do you any good?
It brings balm to the heart. We needed it. If you only lose, it’s complicated, especially with the squad we have. We remained united but during training, with the defeats piling up, we went there with less desire. So this victory feels really good. We had a very good week before this match, which we validated against Lyon, we are working well again this week. Everyone takes responsibility.

You are playing a very important play-off next week (in Vannes or Grenoble on June 16). Can you still think about this match in Clermont on Saturday evening?
We have won only one match in the last three months, so the Clermont match is important to prepare for the next one which will be very important. Let’s do it step by step. We have a match on Saturday to gain more confidence, to validate what we managed to do against Lyon. We must continue with the work.

“A final phase for dummies but a final phase nonetheless”

How do you approach this very special play-off match?
I take it as a final phase appointment. Final phase for dummies but final phase nonetheless (smile). It really excites me, it’s a match that you’re only going to experience maybe once in your life, there’s going to be a crazy atmosphere and we’re going to have fun…

Have you started working on the two potential opponents?
No way. We are really focused on Clermont. The order of the day is really to refocus on ourselves because we have seen that, this season, what has failed us is not the opposing teams but our own errors on which they have fed. For three weeks, we have been refocusing on a game that resembles us as much as possible.

Given your workforce, must we also accept this reality of the looming roadblock?
When you’re there, you’re there… There was surely a personal questioning for all the players, it’s obligatory. This has been felt for two weeks, where we see that the level is increasing, that confidence is increasing. If we’re here, it’s because we missed out on the season, because we lied to each other a little between players. Now we must take our responsibilities and save this club.

“The more defeats passed, the less we gave on the pitch

It seems like you were waiting until you were faced with a fait accompli to take charge…
In Montpellier, we’ve been operating like this for a while… Downs to get back up again. Even in the year of the title (in 2022), we wake up having had our fingers slapped. This will have to be remedied in the years to come. We can’t wait until we have lost points at the start of the season to fight afterwards.

Should we increase the aggressiveness slider after this series of six defeats in the Top 14?
Oh yes ! We had the slowest rucks in the Top 14 this season, we couldn’t get a ball out in less than three seconds. That’s why we’ve been working a lot over the past two weeks on the basics of rugby, the rucks, the scrum, the touchline… I’m not going to give you any information on our game project (smile) but the idea is to get back to the basics of this game, particularly the rucks. If we take the balls out like this weekend, 70% of rucks lasting less than three seconds, that obviously clears up the three-quarter game. It’s a virtuous circle to be found again.

How do you explain this slack in these sectors before the victory against Lyon?
We get into a false rhythm. You wallow in a level that is a little lower than yours and no one pulls you up. We were content with little, the more defeats passed, the less we gave on the pitch.

Did you think you were safe from danger?
Maybe a little too. We still had cards to play not so long ago, but we missed them, notably against Stade Toulousain (22-29, May 18). Now we are really up against the wall, each player has their objectives and we have the common objective of saving the club.

Are you considering the worst-case scenario?
We hear a lot that it’s going to be simple but the Pro D2 teams are very tough. I played there for a while and the fundamentals – scrum, touch, rucks – it’s no laughing matter. In a match, anything can happen, it will be very, very complicated. »