Special envoy to Bristol
Similar route, meteoric rise.
Eleven years ago, Racing 92 found the elite of French rugby, imitated a year later by Exeter, promoted to the English Premiership.
This Saturday (5:45 p.m.), the two clubs face each other in Bristol to win a first European title.
If the Chiefs of the south-west of the United Kingdom are novices at this level of the competition, the Hauts-de-Seine club will play its third continental final, after having come up against the Saracens in 2016 and then Leinster in 2018 .
Due to the health crisis, the 2019-2020 title is at stake (while the following exercise has already started).
The scrum-half, Maxime Machenaud, admits that “it's weird to play a European Cup final at the start of the season” But the Ciel et Blancs had checked this meeting as soon as the European games were stopped, in last march.
"We had prepared for this European competition, we had this date in mind," agrees manager Laurent Travers.
A week in isolation in a hotel in Porto-Vecchio
To get there, not everything was easy for Racing.
A fortnight ago, nine cases of Covid-19 were detected within the workforce, leaving the threat of a defeat against Exeter on the green carpet.
The Altoséquanais club then took drastic measures: players and staff in solitary confinement in a hotel near the Plessis-Robinson training center;
only one player per room;
meals in small groups of three.
Then, to prepare for the final, a week of isolation in Porto-Vecchio in Corsica, far from homes where the virus is active.
"We put ourselves in our bubble for this priority objective", summarizes Machenaud.
"READ ALSO: Russell, Vakatawa, Imhoff: the three X factors of Racing
On Wednesday, the last results, a real sword of Damocles, fell: there are no more positive cases, the final will take place.
"The start of the week was special with this context," confides the scrum half.
But once we got the results on Wednesday night, the pressure, motivation and focus kicked up a notch.
"
However, it is difficult to prepare calmly for this crucial match.
“We would have liked to prepare for this final in a different way.
Collectively, we could not meet at the beginning of the week (the 9 positive players were only allowed to resume training on Thursday, Editor's note) but we spent time, we talked a lot, exchanged.
I feel the group ready to approach this final in the best possible way, ”adds the other number 9, Teddy Iribaren, holder this Saturday.
Wasn't the atmosphere too heavy?
“Doing bullshit, we get there.
There are a lot of players who bring a good mood.
And there are some funny guys in the staff too… ”
Racing, which could not train with contact until Thursday, is not there to victimize itself.
"If we feel sorry, if we start to say that it is difficult, that means that we are in the process of finding excuses, loose Laurent Travers.
At one point, you have to look at how lucky you are, we are going to play a final.
It is an honor.
"
"READ ALSO: Racing challenges Exeter, the emerging power of English rugby
Superstitious in the extreme, the manager of Ciel et Blanc refuses to pronounce the word "defeat": "If we look at things in a negative way, by saying that the preparation was truncated, that means that we understood why we go… (stops) No, no!
"And to insist:" This is the third final, we hope this will be the right one.
"" The club has been chasing this first star for a while.
After two lost finals, we say to ourselves that it's kind of our moment.
We all want to make history ”, proclaims Teddy Iribaren.
Center Henry Chavancy, emblematic captain of the club, advance, him, that "Racing has reached maturity".
"We
will have to prepare brains for this lack of enthusiasm
"
Laurent Travers
Now stands Exeter, not the most famous English team but surely one of the most formidable.
In the semifinals, the teammates of the Scottish back Stuart Hogg and the English internationals Henry Slade and Jack Nowell swept the Stade Toulousain (28-18).
“They have a capacity for speed of execution and movement which is quite extraordinary.
They average four tries per game.
They undermine all defenses, details Laurent Travers.
They are there to exhaust their opponents, they multiply the playing time until they crack.
They manage to keep the ball over 3-4 minutes of play, it's rare.
"
Mistrust necessarily.
All in a more than special environment: an Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol behind closed doors.
"We will have to prepare brains for this lack of enthusiasm," recognizes Laurent Travers.
Before joking: "We will miss the smell of merguez and bandas ..."
Read also
Racing 92: video review of the two previous failures in the final
