the essential
A moment leader of Pro D2, US Montauban fell into line after five consecutive defeats; the latest in Grenoble. But for Thomas Fortunel, there is no question of missing Friday evening January 17 with the reception of Valence/Romans in Sapiac.
As in Grenoble last week, Thomas Fortunel will lead the US Montauban attack on Friday January 17, 2025 in Sapiac (kick-off at 7:30 p.m.) to try, by hosting Valence-Romans, to get the first victory “green and black” in 2025.
Thomas can we come back to the match in Grenoble which you started well. Do you think the red card was the turning point in the match?
I don’t know ! I think we were present in the fight. We got into the match well. Indeed, we were quickly reduced to fourteen. It certainly hurt us. We had to chase the ball and we were not able to sequence the playing times as we would have liked to do. We got tired running behind the ball and against a team like Grenoble who plays and holds the ball, who sets the pace, it was hard until the end of the match.
Can we say that Montauban found himself on the fundamentals of rugby?
We found efficiency on the lineout, which is an important point. Then, we demonstrate a positive state of mind. We sent each other, that’s the bare minimum. Grenoble is behind us. We are looking forward to the match against Valence/Romans.
Do you think this match against Valence Romans is the turning point of the season?
Certainly yes a little. We remain on five consecutive defeats. This match, if we win it, we will continue to look at the top of the table. On the other hand, if we lose it, we will have to look down. So it’s a very important match.
Keep the state of mind that was ours in Grenoble, be conquerors by taking initiatives.
Should we fear Valence-Romans especially since the team finds itself in a bad situation in the standings?
Valence-Romans is a dangerous team which finds itself in a difficult situation, we will have to be concentrated until the end, playing a great match to garner the points of victory and confidence on the Sapiac pitch.
-What will it take for you to win?
Keep the state of mind that was ours in Grenoble, be conquerors by taking initiatives. We will have to hold the ball as we did at the start of the season. Lots of little details to correct to regain efficiency and win meetings.
How do you view your personal start to the season?
Personally, it’s a pleasure to play. Especially when the team is rotating. I think this year we have the group to go for something and have fun until the end of the season. It’s up to us to take matters into our own hands so that on Friday evening we are happy with the result and look upwards.
Is the current cold changing your game?
No not at all ! We play on a synthetic field. On the other hand, in the morning for training you have to be well dressed, especially when the ground is frozen in places.
Do you have any special instructions for playing the game?
We have a game plan to respect and know. At the hinge, we have a role of regulator of the offensive game that we can offer. It’s up to us to know how to be patient by knowing how to manage the weak moments and the strong moments and to put the team forward, especially when we come up against fairly solid defenses. We try to do the best we can.
You will find Cyril Deligny, a former teammate, in front of you. What does this do to you?
I haven’t played with him much. It’s nice to see players from Tarn-et-Garonne again.
