Pro D2 – Weekend lesson: Rouen, mixed feelings
The week will still have been so special for the RNR, who accompanied Jordan Michallet for his last trip and who came out of the relegation zone.
These are such hard, special times that the Normandy Lions have been experiencing since January 18 that putting words to the emotions experienced sometimes seems difficult, as everyone mourns in their own way. But one thing is certain, the RNR has been inhabited by a determination since the tragedy, to seek this maintenance in Pro D2 for Jordan Michallet. And if playing against Carcassonne last weekend was a group choice, being on the pitch, so close, so close, was ultimately too much to bear. “Last week was tough for the whole team, with a complicated game and a banging (3-24 defeat, Editor’s note), recognizes Jean-Étienne Lesueur. The unconscious spoke, the tears flowed, and this time we found smiles again at the end of the game when Corentin Glénat’s drop was countered by Nadir Megdoud to secure a victory (14-15) in Grenoble, the second away this season after that in Aix-en-Provence last September. She takes the RNR out of the relegation zone and the photo of joy in the dressing room had a whole different flavor. There was a lot of emotion at the end.”continues the hooker of a formation arrived in Isère on Tuesday for the funeral in Voiron, the native land. On a spent all week here. We worked well and we really wanted to play a big match. » All this under the eyes of many people who came to participate in this tribute to the Stade des Alpes, which respected a minute of applause before the game while in the stands, representatives of the clubs in which Jordan Michallet played, as well as members of the 93 generation with which he was Champion of France Reichel in 2013 under the colors of Grenoble.
The weight of number 10 for Peter Lydon
And when you know that some of his teammates had this desire to wear it for his last trip a few hours earlier, it’s hard to imagine that he also had to think about rugby in all this. However, it was necessary to prepare a crucial meeting for the maintenance, especially after seven consecutive defeats. Because before this victory in Grenoble, it was necessary to go back to November 19 and the reception of Agen to find trace of a success. “We are doing a good operation. We take 4 points and that’s what we came for. We put an end to this series of defeats which started to hurt our heads. We will never forget what happened but we got back on track. The Pro D2 is not going to wait for us. We’ve had some bad times lately, some sad times, and what we’re doing tonight is really beautiful.”says Jean-Étienne Lesueur.
Knowing that in recent days, another man has had to manage a pressure and a particular emotion, it is Peter Lydon. In his bubble, the Irishman is called upon to take over at the opening and in a goalscoring role, a weight just as heavy as the simple fact of having to put on a tunic again flocked with “1” and “0” . And we felt the player not always comfortable in his games on foot, but able to pass this decisive decision from 50 meters shortly after the hour of play, precisely putting the Rouennais back in front of the scoreboard. His attenuation at the final whistle was then obvious while this ability to raise his head under pressure, under the weight of emotions, can be a real strength for the future. The RNR in any case holds a reference match.