In a shared stakes match, Edinburgh (large half of the Scottish with a largely reshuffled workforce.
“C“was our objective from the start of the week, we declared to ourselves that we wanted to be the first promoted in the history of the Top 14 to qualify for the final stages of the Challenge Cup”explained with a smile Joe Edwards, captain of RC Vannes, proud of the performance of his players. “We knew we had to win our next two games but with the squad they have, Edinburgh, obviously they could field a very, very experienced team and that’s what they did.”
Voluntarily deprived of Gorrissen, Lafage, Ruru, Vunipola, Metz, Marks, Blanchard, Medrano, or involuntarily of Pedemonte, Chateau or Augry, the Vannes have aligned an experimental hinge with the young Cotarmanac’h (19 years old, first start in the first team ) associated with scrum half and in charge of goal Jules Le Bail.
In these conditions, certain markers of the game stigmatizing the usual failings or weaknesses of the Bretons have been erased: the impeccable discipline (6 penalties conceded against 10 by Edinburgh), the air gaps (the Vannes residents have never really taken off the score and could even have been in the lead again on the scoreboard after Taccola’s try but the conversion did not go through, 25-26 in the 66th minute).
Hope of qualification remains
Better still, the Breton scrum, which can be described as experimental in view of the players lined up, posed many problems for the Scots. To the point of making coach Sean Everitt say: “It was a difficult match, I am satisfied that we came out of it, We can be frustrated by our scrums because we have good players in front but we know that the French make a point of honor, of pride, on this game launch. We will have to look into this sector.”
In a group where everything was possible for qualification, Edinburgh, Gloucester and Bayonne achieved the good deal. But by once again taking a defensive bonus point (the second in three European Cup matches), Vannes still has a tiny chance: to win at Llanelli next weekend while watching the results of the opponents.
What Captain Edwards confirms: “I find that the objective has not changed.”
Mathieu Cidre, last Wednesday, lifted a corner of the veil on the past week and the one to come before the crucial reception in the Top 14 at the Stade français on January 25: “For Llanelli, the composition could see the return of certain executives, not necessarily 100%. What is certain, for the trip to the Scarlets, is that the team could get closer to the one which will host the Stade Français. Players keys, important, will be aligned, yes.”
Don’t think this defeat against Edinburgh made you smile: “They were chi… in the rucks”cursed Léon Boulier after the match. Joe Edwards agreed and even pointed out the same weaknesses seen against the Scots as in the Top 14: “I think we have given the ingredients to exist at the combat level, at the ruck zone level. But they have quality players, they have shown it well, it plays, it goes quickly towards the outside, it plays from afar.” Hence two carbon copy essays from Ali Price, a Darcy Graham who offered himself a hell of a sheet of individual statistics or even a Duhan Van der Merwe in terms of his reputation.
Yes, a small change to note: on returning to the pitch, the Vannetais benefited from a penalty, the Rabine stands came down from the “Points! Points!” and were they heard? Still, Le Bail scored three points allowing Vannes to take the lead (47th).
In summary: as very often this season, Vannes was extremely worthy of its promoted status against a big team; as often Vannes did not win; as often Vannes scored (three tries); with a reshuffled team, Vannes has not mortgaged anything. The Bretons will not give up.
