Face à Bordeaux samedi, le RCT devra maîtriser le jeu au sol
If they stood up to Castres Olympique in the current game, it was on the ground that the Toulonnais sinned. With nine stolen balls (!) in the rucks by the Castres poison, they were never really able to put their game of movement in place. Hold the ball (54% possession) but step back? The players of the XV of the harbor have therefore once again suffered the wrath of the fourth of the Top14.
“ We have had a lot of difficulty in our rucks in recent games. It was complicated to put the rhythm against Castres and without rhythm against a team that attacks us, it’s difficult to find solutions. It will come with cleaner, meaner and more aggressive rucks to have quick and efficient ball exits”, analyzed the Julien Hériteau center at a press conference yesterday morning.
“It’s not just the fault of the forwards”
Tomorrow, facing the Bordeaux rock, Franck Azéma’s players will therefore have to roll up their sleeves. Because although deprived of Cameron Woki, the flock of Christophe Urios very often prove to be imperial on the ground. Whether by Louis Picamoles, Clément Maynadier or especially Jefferson Poirot, the Girondins excel in this sector.
The Varois are therefore warned, and must set the sights in the rucks. “ We will have to be present in the counter-rucks and manage to keep our balls. If we had known how to do it against Castres, I am convinced that the score would have been different, whispered Facundo Isa. We are not bad in the game or tactically, but it is really these details like the rucks that do not allow us to switch.“
A speech that makes sense from Julien Hériteau, who also made it clear that the responsibility for the ground game did not fall only to the “big guys”: “ It’s not just the fault of the forwards. When the ball goes wide, it’s for three quarters and it’s up to us to be first. We have a job in the rucks which is quite important even if we don’t necessarily see it. It’s up to us to do more, especially when there are high balls, in order to come quickly to ensure the rucks. Bordeaux are a team that do a lot of counter-rucks and challenge that area. it’s going to be important to be in support of the guys.”
If it manages to get clean balls out, then the Toulon cavalry can try to jostle with the Gironde armada. A victory and it goes? If we must not go too fast, a success (which moreover against the leader of the Top 14) will require the RCT to take a little height on the red zone.