Toulouse. Éloi Pélissier: “We must quickly learn from our mistakes”
The TO international hooker, who knows the Super League well, talks about his team’s difficult start to the season.
With 172 Super League matches under his belt in the jerseys of the Catalans Dragons, Leigh, London Broncos and now Toulouse Olympique, Éloi Pélissier, 30, is well aware that his team must learn quickly from its mistakes to get up to speed. level of the demanding English championship.
Éloi, what do you remember from your last outing at Salford?
That when we were outplayed we were then able to come back to 20-12. We have a penalty which can bring us back to 20-14 but we make another choice. This is how the management of the match means that… We have to learn from our mistakes, learn from them and quickly. Afterwards, in this match, there is good, even very good and bad as well. So we have to build on our mistakes, lay our foundations so as not to start from scratch with each match. Without that, we will not be able to play on a level playing field.
There were also shortcomings in defense at the start of the match which weigh you down.
Yes, there are missed tackles that are expensive. After when you are away from the scoreboard (20-0 in the 26th), it takes enormous effort to come back. And all that energy you put into coming back, well, you end up missing it in the end.
Two games, two defeats but you are not the only ones in this situation fortunately.
We are the Petit Poucet, the promoted, the outsider, we know it. We have a team to compete with even though there have been departures recently. We know that all the Super League teams have been recruited very well. I repeat, we have to learn and quickly learn from our mistakes. There are 25 games left, the championship is still long, we are not going to start being alarmed.
The sequel promises to be rather full-bodied with the successive receptions of Warrington and Wigan, no?
Indeed, there, it is the gratin of Super League. These are two confrontations that will move us forward. And then if we can do the feat, that would be nice, right?
After dominating the Championship last year, is it psychologically difficult to face failure this time around?
No, because we knew the step was high, much higher, but it remains accessible. Only we are starting the season with a few last-minute departures (Ford and Kheirallah, editor’s note), a few injuries that are impacting our bench depth. But we are not looking for an excuse. We have the cards in hand to succeed.
A quick word about your experiences in Leigh and London. Do you have good memories?
Yes, these are unforgettable moments. I’m glad I was able to do that. It made me grow in my life as a man, in my life as a rugby player. It was a great experience!