the essential
Last in the championship at mid-term, tied with Bayonne, penultimate, the Agenais experienced great difficulties during this first part of the season and must absolutely bounce back in this new year.
Long at the top of the French hierarchy, the Espoirs are not certain of remaining in the Elite, although they have been given a “mission” by their manager Julien Guiard.
Also read:
Top 14: former SU Agen manager Mathieu Blin joins the Stade français staff
Along with Olivier Campan and Alain Garcia, Julien draws lessons: “Our results are far from positive, seven defeats for only two victories on the first block. Halfway through the championship, we are tied for tenth with Bayonne, a very delicate place obviously. If it took us half a season to get into this situation, that also means we have half a season to get out of it. The situation is therefore not desperate, and personally, if I am not optimistic, I remain combative. There is no question of us giving up. We were not helped by injuries in key positions. We knew the depth of our squad and we didn’t have much room for maneuver in certain positions. When we injure the two starting centers, Luigi Marina and Enzo Tastet, who have not played a single championship match and, on whom we were counting in the center, and when we know the importance of these two positions in our system of current game, we understand our difficulties. »
Also read:
Pro D2: Julien Lebian most used element… Discover the playing times of SU Agen players after the first leg
“The group and its state of mind deserve better”
For the rest of the season, the Agenais have decided to change several elements. “What is required of us is a big questioning, and on all levels. We started doing it after Brive, before going on vacation. With Olivier and Alain, we met with the leaders to modify the parameters. We are going to change the training week and our way of training, by being less ambitious, but more precise and realistic, even if we have to remain ambitious to be creative and dangerous. The urgency of the result requires us to focus on the essential, that is to say being able to rely on a stable conquest, a solid defense and, from there, to be opportunistic and pragmatic in the zone brand. All this is very easy to say, but we will have to implement it, because staying in tenth place is out of the question. The group and its state of mind deserve better. Except in Rouen, we have never been overtaken in matches. We never collapsed, but now we have to win matches even if they are a little complicated. If we are competitors, we must be able to get back up, as others have been able to do. We don’t hide. We, the staff, face our responsibilities. We did not know how to make our team competitive. We have nine games to get out of the red zone, it’s up to us to do it. »
Also read:
Pro D2: convalescent and at a crossroads… What the statistics reveal about the start of the SU Agen season
Resumption on January 11 with the reception of Colomiers who will come with revenge since the Agenais had won there.
Senegal
