The Toulouse captain approaches this second continental meeting with respect and distrust. Because if Exeter is not in the best form, he knows that this rival remains dangerous. Experience and emulation within the group are supposed to protect them from any missteps.
What inspires you about this Exeter team?
You only have to look at the roster to see that they have some very talented players across all lines. Even though we know that they are struggling in their championship, they had a very good performance at the Sharks last week. And then we know that winning a team at home is always tough, especially in this competition where the teams put in an extra bit of soul. The biggest trap would be to take this match lightly and believe that it will happen on its own. I think we have the experience now to know that there is no easy match. And if we don't play our best rugby, we won't win there.
Your opponents haven't won yet this season but they hang on every time (six bonuses). How do you analyze this paradox?
They didn't win but they performed well. They lack consistency over time but they are capable of doing very good things, whether in attack or even in defense. They have very physical players who put a lot of intensity into their tackling, their defense. And behind them, they have players capable of achieving exploits. They have all the capabilities to be a great team. Sometimes it's a matter of finding a balance, a positive dynamic, and launching your season. We hope that we will not put them in good conditions for that to be the case this weekend.
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Have you analyzed and rewatched last year's quarter-final (64-26)?
We saw excerpts from it. The final score is not representative of the match. It was around the 50th or 60th that they gave up. Until then, they had questioned us quite a bit, with a lot of intensity in the contacts. We had difficulty gaining the advantage line, having quick releases. They are very good in this whole contact game. And it took us a long time to find solutions. We will concentrate more, I think, on the start of the match which is more representative of their team than the final score.
A week after the demonstration against Ulster, how can we prevent overconfidence?
It's always better to start the week after a very good match. There is good humor, a lot of enthusiasm, and confidence too. This week in training, there was still a lot of application. There were two very good days of training. Everyone really wanted to train, to give their best to prepare for this match. We feel that there is a lot of emulation in the group. Everyone wants to be part of it. It pushes everyone to their limits, to give the best of themselves and not to rest. I think that this emulation leads us to move away from this excess of confidence and brings a positive dynamic for the whole team. I hope it’s this state of mind that will carry us through this weekend.
What would you say about your confidence level and the group's current performance?
We have had very good matches since the start of the season and we have managed to maintain a level which is still very high. Whatever the composition, it's a whole group that performs because what we've been working on for several years is bearing fruit. And as I said, there is a lot of competition and emulation in the group. So it pushes everyone up. It pushes everyone to surpass themselves every weekend but while obviously keeping the collective objectives at the top. I think this collective dynamic pushes us. And we feel that we achieve a certain mastery when we respect the fundamentals, when everyone respects their role, when we respect the basics of rugby, we feel that we are dangerous, that we are efficient, that we are difficult to play. But we also know that this state is fragile, it can quickly turn around on an incident of play, on many things which are the hazards of sport. And I think we also have the experience now to be confident enough while remaining vigilant. The key is to be sure of your strengths without lowering your level of vigilance so you can continue to maintain this level and not be surprised.
Also read:
Champions Cup – The compositions of Exeter – Toulouse: Slade at the opening, Cros back and holder
Do you understand that the big scores you inflict can impress from the outside?
I don't have the impression that it bothers us in any case. We are obviously proud and happy with what we do, with what we have done. But we also have things to say. We were very pragmatic, we had success even if technically we were good too. There are days when everything works, it seems like everything you try works, but that's not necessarily the case every weekend. This is also why we have to be able to win in different scenarios, by playing different rugby. The one last weekend bore fruit, now it will be another one and the team must be able to adapt. We know that we are questioned every weekend anyway and the biggest stupidity is to believe that just by going out into the field, doing what we have already done, it will work. without putting in the necessary effort.
You have spoken several times about emulation. Do we also feel it when we are Antoine Dupont?
Yes of course. I think we just have to look at the compositions of the last final phases that we had. Each time, there are lines that move because it is linked to performances, poor performances, injuries too. And I do everything to maintain my level. I make every effort every day to try to stay the best I can. And of course it pushes me. We have players who are also very efficient in this position. Paul (Graou) has very good matches every time he plays. Naoto (Saito) was very successful the times he played with us this year. And at all lines, at all positions, I think there is no player who can afford not to work or not to make the effort on a daily basis, and to believe that he is going to play. Me included.
