Mathieu Acebes reacts to the departure from Jaminet to Toulouse
Perpignan captain Mathieu Acebes spoke via Rugby News to discuss this new 2022/2023 season.
The latter notably explained that he was not worried by the two defeats conceded by USAP during the two pre-season friendly matches played in August. Extract :
“With the years and a bit of experience that I have, I don’t remember anything at all. I remember, a few years ago, when we made it to the Top 14, having beaten the great Stade Toulousain and Racing 92 in a friendly, and behind that we had lost almost everything in the league. These are meetings above all to get back in shape. We had a lot of injuries in these two games. The staff had also decided to do a lot of rotations because the season is going to be very long. The start of the Top 14 is already a real marathon with 10 games in a row.
In the process, he says he is not worried about many injuries in the ranks of the USAP, for this start of the season. Extract :
“No, no, it’s the lot of all the teams. It’s a point on which we know that everyone will have to compose throughout the season and it can happen to everyone. This Top 14 is an adaptation championship. But it is also very hard psychologically, where the slightest relaxation is very costly. It’s a lot of undermining work throughout the year, because you have to stay focused on the goals, the matches… Everything counts in this Top 14.”
Also, the Catalan winger indicated that USAP’s objective was maintenance and nothing else. Extract :
“We are not going to lie to each other: Usap hopes to keep it in any way. Today, the place of this club is in the Top 14, and everything must be done to perpetuate this. It will be very difficult for everyone. There is no easy match in this Top 14. It’s a marathon, it’s very long, and it’s all put end to end that the differences are made.
To conclude, Mathieu Acebes returned to the departure of Melvyn Jaminet to Stade-Toulousain.
He does not want him in any way, quite the contrary. Extract :
“Melvyn, we are talking about a full holder of the XV of France. We suspected that it would be difficult for Usap to keep it. I don’t see his departure in any way, I’m happy for him, especially for his development. Sometimes, you have to know how to be delighted for this type of player. At Usap, and this is really the philosophy of the club, there are no stars and people who have come before the club. He is strong, and even without Melvyn, the Perpignan club remains strong.