SÉbastien Boboul and Matthias Haddad-Victor used the same pirouette when the possible positioning in the 3rd line of Jonathan Danty came to the table this Saturday, in Castres (4:30 p.m.). “You have confused it with Levani Botia”, they first indicated regarding information revealed Tuesday by our colleagues from “L’Équipe”. Then the coach in charge of the La Rochelle attack admitted with a smile that it was indeed a possible option.
And it is being considered because between the presence of Paul Boudehent and Grégory Alldritt (the La Rochelle captain is a reserve with the Blues) at the Stade de France this Friday, the suspension of Judicaël Cancoriet (who will serve this weekend the second of his four weeks of suspension) and the forearm of Levani Botia which does not consolidate as quickly as expected, the caravel club lacks a powerful and threatening profile in the game on the ground. But it is also because, new this season, the back lines have been filled since the end of the first block of 9 matches, enough to allow rotations and internal emulation.
Bollengier and Bosmorin are there
If Ihaia West (who suffered an infiltration of the Achilles tendon) and Simeli Daunivucu (hamstring) did not train this Thursday, Hoani Bosmorin and Nathan Bollengier, finally rid of their physical problems, were there. Just like the medical joker Suliasi Vunivalu (he must wait for optimal fitness and better knowledge of the systems before being released into the deep end of the Top 14). Other members of the Espoirs team, first in their group, are also mentioned by the coach with a view to the always complicated trip to Tarn: the 3rd row Tyreese Leupolu and Édouard Richer.
“Players have been training since the start of the year to arrive at these moments and have their opportunity”
This is not necessarily bad news for this last official double of 2024 – the internationals will then have a vacation to take between their return and December 31. The trips to San Sebastián (37-7 defeat against Bayonne) and Montpellier (16-0) showed that the accumulation of big CVs does not carry much weight when the squad is tired and lacks freshness. On the contrary, the last success against Stade Français (35-18) showed that aligning elements in good shape and brimming with enthusiasm is a definite asset.
A crucial 10-game series
Hence the interest in giving everyone two weeks off, even if Sébastien Boboul admits that the setback in Hérault gave rise to doubts in Ronan O'Gara that were extinguished by the clear victory against Paris. “The players, and the staff too, came back fresh, we had been there non-stop for three months and now we are going to continue until March. It was important to cut back, even if the players still had a program to follow in the second week so that we could directly attack the preparation for Castres,” underlines the former full-back.
“The preseason had been intense, we have rarely had such a long one, especially in the last three years, that also had a bit of an impact on the organizations, with a slightly reduced squad, young people who were not necessarily used to these loads and training volumes. The end of the first block came at the right time, Boboul admits. There, we knew that we were going to have this period without our internationals, it was anticipated. Players have been training since the start of the year to arrive at these moments and have their opportunity, there has been no stress, no problem. »
Between the freshness of the young people and a less busy infirmary, the objective will undoubtedly be to make more regular changes than during the first block. This is because with the 4 days of the Champions Cup which will determine the face of the La Rochelle spring, the series of 10 matches to come will be crucial and will require not always relying on the same ones. “Except that it’s super difficult to anticipate all that. We can do it in the short term, but in the medium and long term, it's difficult, says the technician. We are going to do it weekend by weekend, with our players in good shape. »
With Sorin and Kuntelia on the right
Recalled during the first block to deal with injuries, right pillar Karl Sorin, loaned to Soyaux-Angoulême this season, remained in the stands. This time, he will be in Castres. “We chose to loan him out so that he could have playing time in Pro D2, he appeared on a few sheets. He is ready, he knows everyone,” notes Sébastien Boboul. Aleksandre Kuntelia, apparently not selected by Georgia this weekend, should also be at Pierre-Fabre.
