Rémy Baget was obviously delighted with this success which revived his team after a deadly series of three consecutive defeats in the Top 14.
The CO had not won for over a month in the Top 14. We imagine that this success does a lot of good for people’s minds…
It’s obvious, it does us a lot of good. This success makes us happy. We will only remember the victory. There were some good things, some not so good. There remains a lot of work but we will remember that we stop this series of three defeats. That was the main thing.
Do you feel that serenity is returning or are you still hesitant?
We are not going to say that we are hesitant but rather that we are well countered by the opponents. As a result, we can’t put our game together. This match will help us regain confidence in ourselves. Working on a success is still more pleasant than after a series of defeats.
Were you afraid that victory would slip away from you at the end of the match?
It’s paradoxical because I felt the guys were confident while it was the Palois who had several match points. Above all, we must not miss each other because it would have been difficult to raise our heads in the event of another defeat. We have a big group, we showed character and we were able to win this match.
What do you think is the turning point of the match? We think of Guillaume Ducat’s counter at the end of the match on the Pau penalty…
It’s certain that this against us does good. He was very good in the aerial field. I know this match was close to his heart. There were other turning points as well. A few poorly managed kicking games on our side which allowed Pau to come and play in our camp. We knew we had to reassure ourselves about the things we control. We have very good players under aerial balls. We tried to play the areas that were empty. We managed to put it all together in the first half. The second half was also decent but I think there will be a little more to review.
How do you explain the lack of linearity in your performances during a match?
It’s very hard to have a full match. Only the All Blacks and South Africa manage to maintain a high pace for eighty minutes (laughs). In the Top 14 today, all the teams know how to adapt. We can’t just offer one pattern for an entire match.
What about next week and this return to the Champions Cup with the reception of the Bulls?
I don’t watch their championship too much. I know that it is a team that goes far, that is very solid and very dense. Quite honestly, we were really focused on this championship match which was important for us. Winning, even by one point, was our only priority for the week.
Senegal
