Toulouse. Lalie Brouillet: “The state of mind will make the difference”
Facing the leader, the TFH, second in the standings by two lengths, on the occasion to take control. Left-back Lalie Brouillet insists on the mentality of Toulouse.
In the first leg, at the beginning of November, you lost 28-27. Looking back, what did you miss in Act I?
If we lost this match, it was not technically. We were up to five units ahead on the scoreboard. Without looking for excuses, our workforce remains very young. Suddenly, on this meeting, our opponents made their experience speak. And given the situation in the standings, on the candidates already for this return match.
Precisely, for this reunion, the game is scheduled at the sports hall and not at the Argoulets gymnasium. In your opinion, this change of place can have an impact?
Certainly, we are not going to play in our usual room. But we have already had the opportunity to play at the Sports Palace. In addition, this week, two training sessions have been scheduled there. So we know what to expect. We are not going into the unknown. There will surely be a few more spectators. But I don’t think that’s going to work against us. On the contrary, it should lead us to get a good result.
Beyond the place of the meeting, how do you approach this match?
The rise to D2 is a two-year project. Inevitably, with this 2nd place in the standings and the possibility of taking the lead, we want to win. But we approach this match without any particular pressure. Do not think about the different accounting assumptions in case of success, draw or defeat. We will do the accounts at the end of the final day. What matters most to us is winning this game.
You said it, the Toulouse workforce is young. But to achieve such a season, he shows mental strength, right?
Yes, clearly, beyond the game, we can count on a very good state of mind. Since the start of the season, we have been able to question ourselves. The group lives well together. And when things are not going well, we know how to talk to each other to get back in the right direction. We also see each other outside of training and matches. For example, last month we spent a weekend together to further strengthen our cohesion. After Pouzin, there will only be four more days to go. And for this first place synonymous with a climb, the state of mind will make the difference.