Rugby Union – Top 14: “You have to be more ambitious”, regrets Patrick Arlettaz, after the defeat of USAP in Toulouse
For the Catalan manager, his team does not lack much to compete a little more against opponents like Toulouse.
You thought you had come to Toulouse to seek continuity in the state of mind. You lose, but you are satisfied anyway?
We can be proud of what we have shown in terms of state of mind. We were rather engaged, but I sincerely believe that we have more qualities than that. It’s time to be a little more ambitious. I felt a Toulouse pressing hard on the pedal, and we held on. We don’t play in the same category, but I think we have qualities. Even today on showed them. And they should allow us to be more ambitious and to be able to play all matches at 100% to have good surprises.
Are you disappointed?
Yes, a little because we feel we can do better. We have to work. It’s a bit of a special moment. This is often where the maintenance is won. Over periods as we will begin to live, with cuts, European Cup matches, then a return to the championship. There, the state of mind must be irreproachable throughout. It’s an important period for us and I think we have the qualities to do even more great things than today.
They deprived you of balloons…
It was not so much our conquest that failed, even if the scrum was difficult in the first period. But they put us at fault because they were able to offer rhythm and commitment. We had a bad end to the first half, where we took two tries in quick succession, including one on which we lacked clarity. It’s also because we give a lot to try to stem their repeated attacks. This is where we need to make progress. We need to be consistent over 80 minutes to be able to exist even against this kind of team. Toulouse will come to Aimé-Giral, Racing, La Rochelle too and we will have to do some exploits. The exploits are made at the cost of talent. I think we have some this year, a little more than last year, but also at the cost of consistency. You have to work constantly and believe in it. You also have to have the state of mind that we showed tonight. Well, we can’t blame them.
In defense, everyone answered present.
Not just in defense. Even on our balloons, on an attempt to exist. We did it, we scored a nice try that owes nothing to anyone on two offensive sequences in a row. We had too little today. In defence, there was solidarity, but also solidity on impact. Opposite, they didn’t miss a single one. They were all on the sheet. The best they could possibly come up with, they had it on the lawn. It’s a mixed feeling. Taking zero points at Stade Toulousain is not a disaster. But as we still have quality, we have to be more ambitious.
Now there is the European Challenge coming up. What will it be used for?
Unlike other years, we have a slightly larger workforce. We will take the opportunity to see some young people who could express themselves, but not only. We will balance the two games. Against Bristol, we will make a small mix between those who need to play, those who need to follow, those who need to breathe and the young people we want to see. And in Glasgow, we will get back into the swing of things to prepare for the next three matches (Montpellier, La Rochelle and Clermont, editor’s note). It’s a competition where we don’t have the pressure of points and results, but which will be important in our physical preparation and in the rhythm to prepare for the three matches that will follow and it will be the same in January for the two matches. of the European Cup before the next four matches which will be decisive (Stade Français, Brive, Pau and Bordeaux, Editor’s note).