How do you analyze this defeat?
The ideal strategy is the one we did for 15 minutes. Gradually, we got out of it ourselves, and also through the quality of the opponent. We started playing from a little distance, being beaten in occupation and kicking. Our kicking game was very poor. Overall, our third curtain, our 10 suffered from the comparison with the opponent. The score got worse before halftime. The turning point of the match is that. The score gap had widened. We were behind and we lost track of the match.
Can you explain the choice to put Debaës in 10?
It is an emotional choice. Thibault had the right to play. We cannot say that Maxime Lafage carried the team against Bayonne, he left too much responsibility to Michael Ruru. It's a problem for us, some players can disappear during the match, Mike has to do too many things on the pitch, like Francisco (Gorrissen). It is to the detriment of the entire team.
How do you explain it?
We pay dearly for our mistakes, but they are our mistakes. We have to manage to be better individually. But somewhere, it's my responsibility. The Top 14 is a project that is built upstream, and I have the feeling that we are suffering from the Top 14. We have a payroll of a team that must play the top 4 of Pro D2, that's the reality . We cannot perform miracles.
How do you see the fight for maintenance?
The two matches coming at home are two final matches. No longer just decisive, but definitive. If there are no victories, we are absolutely no longer in control of our destiny. We will have to make exploits, and at the same time let our adversaries go off the rails. If we win them, on the other hand, we are still master of our destiny. We knew this moment would arrive in the season. We wanted to push back the deadline as much as possible. The moment could have arrived a little earlier if we had not won in La Rochelle. But the moment is coming, this is reality. That was what was written.
