the essential
Badly beaten in Nice, the Albigensians are not defeated before hosting Suresnes in the play-off on Saturday at the Stadium. The reward to be sought is far too good for that.
A catch or a half. What do you prefer? At the SCA, it’s the half that we choose. “If the players need a coach to motivate themselves now, they might as well go fishing. Because the final stages are why we play rugby,” harangues Albigensian manager Mathieu Bonello. Because the most serious things will begin on Saturday for the Yellow and Black, with the reception of Suresnes in the National play-off at the Stadium. With a place in the semi-final of the championship at stake, in Nice no less.
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Where the Tarnais got their feet wet this weekend, going from 1st to 4th place. “It’s clear that we carried out the worst operation of the weekend,” admits the former hooker. “But we only lost one championship match.” In great widths certainly (15-47), but the players from the episcopal city are still alive to reach the final and win accession to Pro D2. And if this setback will have highlighted the glaring lack of rhythm of the Albigensians, after a month without playing, it will also have helped to calm the spirits. “Losing sets the record straight a little. All the lights were green before this trip to Nice, it’s true. But even if everything seems ok, that doesn’t mean that everything will go well. To succeed, we must know how to raise our level, and have increased demands, which we also lacked on Saturday,” concedes Bonello.
Stung but not sunk
Taking almost 50 points is never trivial, especially at the end of the season, but the SCA decided to immediately switch to what awaited them against Suresnes, determined to react. When the word revenge came up several times on the lips of the players. “Obviously the group is upset, because we didn’t put in a good match. But mentally, the players got through this difficulty well, because they know what’s coming next. From now on, you win and you continue, or you lose and you go home,” warns the manager.
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The path may have become complicated for Albi, but Mathieu Bonello insists that there are “several paths”: “This play-off match will be useful to me and for various reasons.” He didn’t want to say more. Because the answers will be given on the ground.
