“We were split open,” Lopez bitter after Bayonne defeat

The Basque opener did not shy away from his responsibilities after the big setback conceded to Anoeta against Toulon on Sunday in the Top 14 (10-46).

«We didn’t exist, that’s the realitysays Camille Lopez after being outclassed by Toulon on Sunday evening. We got split open. There is no photo. Nothing worked. We got eaten everywhere. In terms of aggressiveness, we don’t win any collisions. Defensively we suffered. In conquest, it’s not my domain, but I have the impression that we suffered too. We didn’t have many balls. I’m being countered. Nothing went wrong. We did everything backwards.»

The Bayonne opener also accepts his club’s downward ambitions and announces that he is looking down rather than up the table from now on. “I’ve been saying it for a while, we can’t afford to say that we can play at the top of the table. The proof is tonight. We are a small team trying to build and grow. But here, we take a slap in the face and it’s done well for us. We cannot talk about seeing higher. We get a nasty spanking. Our championship is the bottom one. It is the maintenance.” After 20 days of Top 14, the Basques are in 10th place, 5 points behind Montpellier, play-off.