Noah Néné, the center of Dax, returned to his first derby in the Landes colors.
You experienced your first Landes derby. What are your feelings?
Personally, I didn't know this notion of derby. I grew up in the Paris region and with the young people at Stade Français, I would say that only the matches against Racing were a little special. I experienced this week as a normal match, even if I imagined there was going to be a lot of atmosphere. I still felt that among my teammates, who have been at the club longer than me, this match was important. All I can say is that after the match we lost heavily in Béziers, we feared this relocation. Last week, it wasn't our real face. We worked well this week and I think we were able to acclimatize. I think we showed a better face and entertained our audience.
From a personal point of view, are you aware of the match you achieved?
It was a big match for the whole team! Everyone sent off. Romuald (Séguy) led the game well and that allowed us to create chances. I'm happy to have scored and made a goal, but I repeat, it's a whole. It was the work of the whole group that allowed us to have this big match. I was told about the try I scored (after a 60-meter run through the middle of the defense, Editor's note). I didn't realize it. I remember only thinking about one thing, and that was to move forward, as far as possible… I managed to go to the end and score, it's a great satisfaction. Fortunately I scored, because my teammate Théo Gatelier told me, when I almost tripped following the last tackle, that he was yelling for me to pass to him… (laughs)
This week, the Stade français coach, Laurent Labit, came to visit you, did that motivate you?
It's true that his arrival gave me a boost. He looked at my stats and spoke with Jeff and his staff. He told me what he expected of me, particularly about working without the ball. Even though today I was seen a lot with (laughs) I tried to work on these points. I hope I showed him some progress. It's important that he follows me. His words have meaning and it boosted me. I am on loan from Stade Français, but things are clear. I will stay in Dax all season. US Dax is a club where I feel good. I like the game we play here. I think this will help me gain experience. I hope I lived up to Laurent Labit's expectations in this match. I will continue to work to hope, one day, to return to my club.
What do you think of the words of Eric Artiguste who said this week that if you manage to work up to your abilities, you could fly over the division?
It's true that I get teased a lot by my teammates in training. I am aware of the points that I need to improve, such as defense, playing without the ball and consistency. I don't think I'll be able to skim, because as I often say, it's thanks to the mindset of this group that things are possible. Alone, I couldn't do anything. This match was a great satisfaction for everyone and if I was able to make my contribution, I am happy.
