Racing 92 took a slap against Stade-Français Paris this Sunday evening at Jean-Bouin.
Questioned after the meeting via Midi Olympique, the assistant coach of Racing 92, Dimitri Szarzewski expressed his annoyance.
He explains that his team was not up to the task. Extract:
We were in the match for twenty minutes and then they managed to get past us, to do off-loads. We ran behind them, we looked at them too much. In the 65th minute, we woke up a little and they, given their lead, lowered their intensity a little. We knew how to take advantage of it. But it's a very frustrating match. It was the derby, we had put the emphasis on it, and we didn't live up to it. It's very frustrating.
We were a little too busy in the rucks, and in defensive traffic, we were a little wait-and-see. We looked at them too much, which created discrepancies. We also expected a more direct game from them, and even if there was some, they mainly managed to pass, and particularly in defense, which put us in difficulty. We must congratulate them, given the pressure they had on their shoulders.
He believes that his players quickly lowered their weapons during this match. He fears the upcoming match against Toulouse. Extract:
In a match, it can take two or three tries, but the most important thing is to never give up. And we had the impression that sometimes we were lowering our weapons. That's the most disappointing thing. I hope it's just a poor performance and that with an adjustment we'll be there next week. Because if we take forty points at the Stade Français, without disrespecting them, what will it be like against Toulouse? We'll have to wake up quickly.
And what's good about rugby, and particularly in our championship, is that we can put the dots on the “i”s the following week. Our work week will be short, since we will play on Saturday. To tell you the truth, we are going to return to this match on Monday. We were supposed to do it on Tuesday, but we need to gain time to prepare for the arrival of Toulouse. You have to wake up.
Leadership? We focus a lot on this sector. But in recent years, we have suffered a lack of consistency. We have two or three good matches and then we lower our vigilance in the fourth. This is what Stuart Lancaster is trying to provide, in terms of personal development. Be good players, but also determined men.
