the essential
On the eve of hosting Perpignan, this Saturday, November 23 at Ernest-Wallon on the occasion of the 10th day of the Top 14, David Mélé (39 years old), “skills” assistant coach, discusses the recovery within the “rouge et black” who leads the way in the championship. He also opens the memory box.
You have chosen to cut two full weeks unlike many clubs with nine consecutive days. Was it necessary?
I think the group needed to have that freshness. There are the nine matches, but there are the three, four weeks before with the preparation and the friendly matches. So it was quite a long period for the players and I think everyone needed to cut back, to regenerate for some, to continue a little re-athleticization for others. Because the period that is coming, especially with this Perpignan match, Racing and the European Cup period in addition, we will have to have all our players at 100% to tackle these very important deadlines.
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You know this Usap team very well having played as a scrum half there between 2006 and 2013 then during the 2018-2019 season. What means should be implemented to put it in difficulty?
If I had the recipe, I would share it (smile). But of course I know its characteristics and what makes it strong, I spent a lot of time there. It's a team that will travel with, I think, a lot of ambitions given the period even if it is also without quite a few players. But the Perpignans will come with the aggressiveness and combat that characterize them. And their game which, for some time, has been much smoother, much more fluid in wanting to play, counter-attack from everywhere. This is a team that will try to cause us as many problems as possible, especially in the rucks by trying to slow down the balls or take them from us on counter-rucks. It's up to us to counter that by putting the fight at the same level as them or even higher to be able to have our balls and put our game in place, which is still one of our strengths.
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Is this match more special than any other on a personal level?
He is special and always will be. I spent 11 years of my life there, I started there, my children were born there, so each time it brings back memories that will always be engraved in me. And it's true that when the calendar falls, I look at when we receive them but especially when we go there. It's something that means a lot to me. Afterwards, I am now a coach at Stade Toulousain and my team is Stade Toulousain. Even if in my heart there is a small place for Usap, I hope that the “red and black” will triumph on Saturday.
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It was in Perpignan that you touched your first Brennus shield in 2009…
The only one as a player. It was an incredible period with a generation four years under Jacques Brunel who I think will have no equal in Perpignan in the years to come. We made two finals, a European Cup semi-final so these are obviously only very good memories.
