” No comments. “The mindset is great. “Everyone is united. “This kind of response is never really a good sign when they go round and round like this Thursday during the Stade Français press conference, before Perpignan’s reception at the Jean-Bouin stadium on Saturday (5 p.m.). They more often reflect anxiety than tranquility. Shaken on the ground as behind the scenes, the Parisian club is now trying somehow to maintain the necessary cohesion within a group which does not yet know if it has a chance to aim for something other than maintenance.
Saturday, in Bordeaux, the Parisians fell (15-10) for lack of ambition. On Monday, they learned through the media that their staff had lost the confidence of its leaders with the revelation of the probable arrivals of Laurent Labit and Karim Ghezal, the assistant coaches of the XV of France, by 2024. The first would then become the capital team manager.
“I’m not commenting,” slipped Laurent Sempéré, Gonzalo Quesada’s assistant in charge of forwards. The third row wing Romain Briatte and the rear Kylan Hamdaoui said little more. “We talked between players, but it doesn’t change anything in our heads,” Briatte said. We have to do our job. We had a meeting between the leaders of the group with a member of the staff. “Yes, of course we exchanged between us, because we read the newspapers, but no more than that,” continued Hamdaoui.
“We can’t wait to find the Jean-Bouin stadium”
Place therefore in the field, where Perpignan, the promoted which comes out of two victories at home against Toulon (19-13) then Castres (14-10), gives in advance cold sweats to Parisians counting the same number of points as him at the ranking (9) with two successes for three defeats. “It’s a crucial match, underlines Laurent Sempéré. The Catalans know how to feed on the slightest waste to kill a match. They are dangerous. »
And as the players of Gonzalo Quesada have never mastered their subject, even at home against the other promoted Bayonne (26-16) three weeks ago, everything is to be feared for them. We dare not imagine, in this context, the consequences of a defeat, and the prospect of a new season to juggle with the specter of relegation. “We are only on the 6th day, retorts Romain Briatte. We will see at mid-season, in December, where we will be. For the moment, we want to win all our home games. »
Laurent Sempéré does not see so far. “We just can’t wait to get back to the Jean-Bouin stadium after two away games in a row,” he says. The last time, against Bayonne, we had difficulties and the public pushed us. We left with a taste of unfinished business. We want the spectators to leave with a smile this time. »
