Thirteenth in the standings and winner of three matches since the start of the season, Stade Montois is not at its best. Before the reception in Biarritz (Thursday, 9 p.m.), the coach of the Landes club, Stéphane Prosper, takes stock of the situation.
Were you satisfied with the last match, where you still showed a good face, despite conceding 45 points?
The big point of satisfaction is the state of mind of the group, the way in which they behaved with enormous commitment and determination. The team put a lot of intensity into the matchin its entirety and it must be emphasized, because it is very good. This must be the basis of our state of mind. If we had had this state of mind throughout the start of the championship, I think we would not be here. Afterwards, you still take 45 points… We took carried balls which we were unable to defend. We made a mistake, we took boxes for 30 minutes. Behind, we conceded four tries with zero passes on the mauls, two others after the cards… It’s heavy.
You have been in difficulty defending carried balls since the start of the season. How to fix it?
Yes, it’s the recurring problem. That’s why we changed our entire programming and devoted 100% of our time to it. We mainly focused on that. It’s not all about realizing that we’re struggling. There are lots of things to work on all the time, but this week we prioritized that.
Did you make this choice, too, because the BO is particularly good in carried mauls?
Yes too. We need to be able to have a short, medium and long term vision. The short term is the BO. The medium term is the upcoming deadlines and the next block. The long term is to finish the season well and, finally, start our championship. I consider that we have not entered the championship and ten days have already been played. We are missing a trigger.
How is Stade Monois doing?
The Stade Monois is a sick beast that must be quickly treated. We have to find the cure, the magic potion, something that will allow us to enter this season. At the same time, I feel that we are not far away, there is real potential in this group. We simply need to be able to perform better on the basics of the game. I am hopeful that we will get there.
Are you playing hold?
We are not in that thinking. Our thinking is to make sure we perform better, maintain a state of mind, determination, commitment in all matches. We are too fickle about our commitment. When we have resolved all of this, we will be able to talk and plan for our future.
What can you rely on to turn things around?
In our matches, we have the ability to work well in all areas, up to the scoring zone. We manage to create a lot of opportunities and situations. You have to be able to have balls in that area to be more effective.
How is the general atmosphere?
For now, we’re in tough times, that’s for sure, but things are going well. We create a bubble, we try to protect ourselves, to work well. You have to work, work, work and if you work well, it will pay off. The state of mind of the troops is good. The guys are not at the bottom of the bucket. This means that they also feel that we are not very far away. It has to translate into performances, starting with tonight.
What is the watchword before the match against the BO?
It is, above all, displaying consistent behavior to be able to play rugby. People need to feel this commitment, this determination. Playing rugby, I think we know how to do it. What is important is the attitude, the behavior, the commitment, the energy, the determination, the motivation that we will put into this match.
In this sense, this match and the next one, against Dax, should not be difficult to approach…
It’s very good that we have two matches against two big, quality adversaries, who are also our neighbors…