Holder for the second time in a row in the third center line position, Matthias Haddad was certainly the best La Rochelle player on the Castres pitch despite the defeat of La Rochelle (28-24). He returned to the performance of his team which was able to come back into the match even though it was trailing by twenty-two points at the break.
Were you afraid of living a nightmare being down 28-6 at the break?
Yes and no because we have a lot of self-sacrifice and character. We came to play a match in Castres. We start facing the wind and we make some rather stupid mistakes. But, we didn't really panic. We weren't worried and we wanted to believe in the plan. We just had to erase small mistakes and then, in the second half with the wind at our backs, we saw that it was more within our reach. We were able to get back into the match but unfortunately not enough.
The wind almost died down at the break. Were you afraid of not being able to enjoy it?
No because mentally, everyone said to themselves that we were playing with the wind at our backs. We played with a lot of speed. We had a few quick balls into the rucks to get us going. We saw players with this character, this grit to be able to achieve a result. After the red card, Dillyn told us it would be a great story if we managed to win. We knew it was an important match in a championship which is long and where we need the whole group. We had new players, young people who are not used to playing. It would have been a founding victory, especially after our last away performances. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
How do you explain the indiscipline of the first half?
We had a lot of desire and unfortunately that sometimes combines with indiscipline, or at least a lack of lucidity. This was the case, especially for me on two occasions. It's a shame because it puts us in a position where Castres didn't need it when we were facing the wind. It’s also part of rugby. The Castres also made mistakes and they did not lose the match. But, this is something that we will have to improve for the reception of Vannes who will come with fangs to achieve an away result.
The red card cut off your good momentum for a few minutes. Was it those five little minutes that you missed at the end?
We had prepared several scenarios. I am very sad for Sandro (Kuntelia). It's frustrating. But we had the ammunition to win this match. We also made small errors, like on this maul where the Castres got a broken arm while we could score, which broke our momentum a little. But I am very proud of the character and the reaction of the team which carried us until the end of the match.
Was it a blow from the technical staff at the break that allowed you to tighten up?
I believe these are the bonds between us. We had traveled six and a half hours by bus so it was not to make up the numbers. We also thought of our supporters who had come. When you also see your friends warming up, you tell yourself that you can't give up. We couldn't leave the score like that. You need a minimum of pride when you wear the jersey. It is to, at least, restore the image that we fought to the end.
Is this defensive bonus ultimately a good point after being down 28-6 at the break?
It's frustrating to lose by four points. Especially since we had worked on this scenario this week. We had seen this scenario: last kick-off, twenty seconds of play and four points behind on the scoreboard. We were mentally prepared for this eventuality and that's what allowed us to hold the ball. It's frustrating because we would have liked to bring home a victory for Jo (Danty)'s first on the third row. We wanted him to be able to keep the jersey because we don't know if he's going to have a lot of it with just one number on the back.
How did you find it in this new role alongside you?
Jo has super high standards. It's a normal match for him but it's a huge match for any player. Jo is a world-class player who should play for the French team and I hope that will be the case in the very near future. I love it. He worked a lot without worrying. He impressed me with his rapid adaptation to such a change of position. I can only be proud of him. I have a lot of respect for the man and the rugby player tonight.
