Author of his first try of the season in “Bielle-Biarrey” mode after a follow-up kick from Billy Searle (40-10, 57e), Agenais Clément Garrigues participated in the offensive festival (6 tries) of the SUA (43-17), this Friday against Aurillac. Above all, he wants to retain the growing confidence capital of the Agenais group.
You had the offensive bonus (28-3) at the break, did the SUA get off to an ideal start?
The ideal start, I don’t know. But defensively, they tried several times but we were there. Offensively, we mark the first time we enter their 22 meters. We’re getting into the match well, it’s good for our heads. We were well connected.
Did this desire to play, to dismiss at all costs, cost you the two tries conceded in the second half (25-10, 55e et 40-17, 67e) ?
This will be seen again in the video, perhaps we did not take enough of the Aurillacois in the axis. For me in the second half, we had more difficulty putting speed into the game. We were more “churly” in the rucks, the balls were less clean. So, obviously, it’s more difficult to gain speed and have space in the lanes.
The three-quarter line seems more established in its passing game?
We’re trying more things! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we overplay, sometimes we score. I think that as the matches progress, we are gaining strength, gaining confidence, that’s what we were missing until now. Tonight, I’m very happy with the result because I think we’re going to turn a corner, at least I hope so. Particularly in terms of this confidence, it will give us a plus for the next matches.
What is the role of the hinge in this confidence, this volume of play?
Billy’s performances [Searle, NDLR] are based on the offensive. He really likes to play, so he gives us that confidence I was talking about. It’s positive.
Playing with two “10s”, including one at the back, allows you to send more play?
Franck [Pourteau, NDLR] is more capable of replacing Billy. So yes, it brings something. Well, I’m not going to say that Franck takes Billy’s place all the time, he stays in the back. But inevitably, in the unstructured game, there are times when a “15” who is not used to playing at the opening would not take advantage of these situations. There, on the essay of Iban Etcheverry [à la 45e, 35-3, après une prise d’intervalle de Billy Searle et relais de Franck Pourteau, NDLR]we play this situation, maybe it’s his role as “10” that makes him play. There is more alternation, and tonight it worked.
“I am very happy with the result because I think we are going to turn a corner”
Was there a breakthrough last week with the first improved victory against Oyonnax (28-14)?
Yes, it was really important to pay yourself. We worked a lot and in the previous block we had some good performances where we didn’t get paid. There, for two matches, we have been paying each other. This evening, we were keen to put in a performance, to boost this confidence to have that trigger and switch to something else.
Another thing is the match in Brive (Thursday December 19, 9 p.m.). Are you going there with less pressure?
It’s certain that we would have had more pressure if we had lost these two matches or if we had not won by 5 points. Well, afterward, we are not going to go to Brive to lose. We’re going to try to do something there. We know that after this match, there are 15 days of rest, so yes, we are going to go “squabbling”.
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