Former player and legendary coach of La Rochelle, Jean-Pierre Elissalde was not gentle when it came to addressing the current level of play at Stade Rochelais. A few days before the clash against Leinster in the Champions Cup, an entire city is waiting for a reaction from the double European champions.
Sunday, Stade Rochelais welcomes Leinster in the Champions Cup for a poster that has become, in recent years, one of the most anticipated shocks on the continental scene. Except that as it stands, the Rochelais seem far from their former glory. In accounting difficulty in the championship (even if their sixth place keeps up appearances), it is above all the level of play produced which worries the supporters, but also the manager Ronan O’Gara, at the end of a worrying victory against the (very ) young Toulouse residents in Deflandre.
So, a few days away from challenging a so-called less dominant Leinster – which does not prevent them from scoring 30 on Munster last weekend in the URC and having two victories in two Champions Cup matches – the Maritimes navigate in the fog. On the airwaves ofHere La Rochellethe legendary former coach of the Jaune et Noir for more than fifteen years, Jean-Pierre Elissalde, makes a clear observation on the current difficulties of the club at the caravel: “Today, talking about a double at the end of the season would be incongruous if not out of place. There is no oil in the wheel. The squad is aging, it’s the end of the cycle. Nothing is changing In the press, during the week, they all say that they are ready and it’s time to act, but on Sunday I see the same problems and the following Monday I read the same words.
The questioning of young people
Although with intentions to improve their game at the start of the season, three-quarters of La Rochelle give the impression of not succeeding in making the difference. The example of last weekend against Toulouse was glaring. Seuteni’s teammates dominated the valiant Haut-Garonnaise team, but without really succeeding in making the difference. “Internet users are wondering why the ball doesn’t come out quicker, but in my opinion, there is no point in getting it out quicker, because the club doesn’t have the players to play faststill analyzes the former player and manager. I think they understood it, in recruitment, by signing two players who have ‘legs’ for next season.”
Another point questions the original Rochelais: the lack of playing time for young people, especially in the back lines. “Here, unlike other clubs, when young people play, they arrive very good and they disappear very quickly, like Reus, or they take time. There are very few of them, in fact. O’Gara looking for the solution. It’s good to play the firewall, but over time it becomes a little excessive.”
You should not live with the stars on your jersey, but with the stars in your eyes
If Jean-Baptiste’s father does not spare Stade Rochelais, he nevertheless displays a certain optimism for the months to come. “We must not forget that our competitions end in a cup format. And, therefore, that anything is possible. Last season was average, but in the semi-final against Toulouse, they were leading at the break.”
He finally sends a message to the young La Rochelle guard, who has made significant progress in recent seasons in the junior category and who must now establish themselves in the first team: “The young people must bite in, show that they are hungry. The Champions Cup titles were won without them. We must not live with the stars on the jersey, but with the stars in the eyes.”
