Top 14. Arthur Retière before La Rochelle-Toulouse: “I hope people have good memories of me”
By Clement Mazella
Published on
For the first time since his departure, Arthur Retiere will return to La Rochelle. Now a player Toulouse stadiumthe winger or international scrum half expects a special moment for him when entering the lawn of Marcel-Deflandre, which he has walked regularly for 6 years with the Yellow and Black.
“I have a lot of good memories, and friends still there,” said the interested party to the press this Wednesday, January 4, 2023. And he has not forgotten the La Rochelle public. “He is really, really good. We will have to ignore it and put ourselves in our bubble, because it is really pushing hard”. And Arthur Retière to add, with a small smile: “I have always given everything to La Rochelle, and I hope that the supporters have kept good memories of me…”
There is no doubt that the La Rochelle public does not have a short memory. Retière, it is in particular he who was registered the victory test in the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle, greatly contributed to the first European champion title of the club.
The curse of La Rochelle
If he expects “no surprises” in the game at Stade Rochelais, the Stade Toulousain wing is well aware of the “curse” that strikes the maritime club against the Rouge et Noir. Indeed, it remains on 9 defeats in a row, all competitions combined (Top 14, European Cup and friendly match).
Toulouse is the best, and when I was in La Rochelle, we were often driven by a feeling of revenge from losing. There, I hope the curse will continue since I changed sides (laughs). Here we try to focus on ourselves, it’s different.
Retière replayed in Clermont
Within a Toulouse team which still sees internationals on vacation, Arthur Retière will try to bring all his explosiveness to the wing. And this after a somewhat delicate end of the year 2022 on a personal level: “My complicated end of the year with a knockout in Lyon and knee pain. Today, I’m fine, I played a match in Clermont where I felt good and now I have to continue and avoid glitches.
During the historic boosted success a Clermont, Arthur Retière has indeed made his comeback. We saw him take a huge caramel from Alivereti Raka, scratch two balls on the ground, and also sign a magnificent open field breakthrough where he was very, very greedy.
“No, I didn’t get my ears pulled,” he jokes. “It’s a tough shot to play. I have a lack of lucidity. The first fake pass was the right option, but then I have to give it to Paul (Graou, Ed) instead of going left. We had to make the pass, that’s for sure. No doubt he has learned his lesson. In La Rochelle beware this Saturday January 7, 2023 (9:05 p.m.), during the 15e Top 14 day…
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