Top 14 (Final) – Jalibert: “A nightmare”

Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Saturday June 29, 2024 at 8:51 a.m.

Finally lined up on Friday evening in the final against Toulouse while he was still weakened, Matthieu Jalibert had the feeling of having been through hell, without contesting the new coronation of his rival, indisputable in his eyes.

For their very first Top 14 final, Matthieu Jalibert and Bordeaux-Bègles could not have imagined a worse scenario and a darker evening than those they experienced on Friday night in Marseille, where Stade Toulousain put UBB through the wringer (59-3) throughout the match. “It’s a nightmare,” Jalibert admitted to Canal Plus after the debacle of his family. The UBB international fly-half does not hide the fact that he was far from thinking that the gap between the two teams in a match could be so abysmal. And moreover, in his eyes, the Girondins, who certainly “did not show (their) true face”, cannot have real regrets. “We knew it was going to be difficult and that it was an incredible team facing us. I didn’t think there was that much of a gap, but here we are, tonight (Friday), we can’t even be disappointed because we were caught in all areas of the game, so just congratulations to them and us, we just have to leave.” And the star number 10 of the team needs treatment. It is indeed hurt that the opener of UBB and the Blues was forced to play in this final.

Jalibert: “To end like that, it’s sad”

Afterwards, without wanting to dwell on the subject, Jalibert also confided that he “almost couldn’t accelerate”. “It’s complicated, because for me, the season was almost over. I learned on Monday that I had a chance to play, but the staff was aware that I couldn’t play one hundred percent. I don’t Could hardly accelerate so for me it was complicated, but I don’t want to complain. Just to forget this slap, which was all the more violent as the UBB supporters responded. “It’s hard for the team and I’m disappointed because we’ve made a lot of effort this season to get here and to end up like this in front of our fans, it’s sad.” The native of Saint-Germain-en-Laye does not hide his face however: “We came across a team which is much stronger and which fully deserves its title”.