A crazy derby at the “Moulin”

A derby as a 1/8th final of the Lord Derby Cup, this certainly does not bring joy to the two Aude clubs who would have preferred to find themselves much further down in the competition. But such are the vagaries of the draw. Lézignan has the small advantage of luck playing at Le Moulin. But the green and white after the defeat against Villeneuve are not at their best: “It has difficulty being digested, confides Cyril Stacul the assistant coach, “but in sport you have to know how to quickly move into the next match by analyzing what didn’t work in order to correct it as quickly as possible.” This cup match four days after the New Year is going badly: “ It’s incomprehensible. This festive period to best prepare for a playoff match is delicate when we have free weekends planned in the championship. The staff has adapted: “After Villeneuve we gave the group a week of rest. This was necessary given the period we are going through and it did them good mentally and physically.” Limoux the opponent is a big piece. The heavy defeat conceded by the Lézignan at the Aiguille during the first leg of the championship is a reminder of this.

A powerful pack, an experienced hinge, a fullback, Santo, and a winger Crunel, unpredictable, the Limouxins have something to impress: “We know themexplains Cyril Stacul, but we focus on ourselves. The objective is to find solutions to restore the confidence and the state of mind to the group which were our strength last season and which we lost a little. The defeat in Limoux is one thing, it must be used to avoid repeating the same mistakes.” This duel is very important and could be a turning point of the season. A qualification for the 1/4 could be a trigger and would open up another perspective: “So far nothing has pleased us. If we regain confidence, things can change. One thing is certain, if we are not mentally ready for a match like this, against Limoux and at home, it would be annoying and would show no pride in wearing the green and white jersey. The assistant coach knows that Lézignan is capable of a surge: “We will need discipline, determination, intelligence and efficiency defensively and offensively.” With the determination of both parties, the Mill is likely to burst into flames.