As soon as the final whistle of the (beautiful) victory against the leader of La Rochelle (35-13), Sunday evening, the spirits of supporters and players of the Stade Français Paris went to the poster for this Saturday.
This late match of the first day against Bordeaux.
With the immense desire to respond on the field to the attacks and other innuendoes which had surrounded the postponement of this match which was to launch the new Top 14 season at the beginning of September.
A little reminder is in order.
The Parisian club, then hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic, is unable to present a team.
More than 25 positive players, and a particularly decimated first line with pillars suffering from lung damage.
Stade Français has no other way out than to withdraw.
Which triggers the ire of Gironde thinking heads.
It is Christophe Urios, who opens fire.
“To say that the Stade Français will not be ready because they have not played any preparation matches… When they have to play their second league game, they will not have any more preparation match.
So it's smoke, ”had balanced the manager of the UBB.
Immediately supported by its president, even more indelicate.
“Apparently Stade Français has found good reasons to postpone this match.
(…) We are out of protocol, however, but they used the pretext of having frontline players who could not train enough.
I knew that from the moment we talked about the physical integrity of the players, the umbrellas would open everywhere.
It's a decision that suits the Stade Français and that bothers us. ”
Insinuations that we will qualify, at a minimum, inelegant ...
“
To say that you don't think about it would be lying.
It's in a corner of our head.
We haven't forgotten ...
"
Loïc Godener
The two men had even gone so far as to claim a defeat of the Parisians on the green carpet.
Almost three months later, the Pink Soldiers have not forgiven.
On Jean-Bouin's lawn, last Sunday, these were also the first words of Loïc Godener.
“To say that you don't think about it would be lying.
It's in a corner of our head.
We have not forgotten ”, warned the third center line of the Stade Français.
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Low masks on values
It promises to be hot, even burning, this Saturday (3.15 p.m.).
We should not be fooled by the strangely soothing speeches this week.
The Parisian players were instructed not to add fuel to the fire.
And the staff did the job.
“At the time, we really didn't like it,” Gonzalo Quesada simply admitted.
We were in a real mess and I think the Bordelais didn't really know what was going on with us.
Perhaps in their place, I would have reacted in the same way.
But today, it's ancient history.
Our objective is not to take revenge, simply to continue in our logic of progression. ”
With the support of his manager, the forward coach, Laurent Sempéré also tried to demine.
“We were the first to be affected.
We have been singled out, stigmatized.
We now see that all clubs unfortunately have to face these events.
But what happened before this first day, nobody knew, we had no hindsight on the subject. "
Publicly therefore, everything would be absolved.
We would swear, however, that this will be the main spring, the source of motivation, of the Parisian players at the kickoff this Saturday.
“
We really want to continue this series.
We need to win
”
Paul Gabrillagues
It will not be the only one, however.
Stade Français has, for the first time in a year and a half, lined up two consecutive victories.
Two great successes: 48 to 14 against a Stade Toulousain certainly diminished by the absence of the internationals, then 35 to 13 against a Stade Rochelais who arrived as leader and with a series of five consecutive victories.
More than 80 points registered, two bonus points.
For a start of renewal after long months of battling at the bottom of the standings, of trying to pull off a few victories to avoid the worst.
"We are aware that it has been a long time since it happened to us to win two games in a row," confirms second-row Paul Gabrillagues.
We are therefore driven by the desire to continue, to gain confidence.
That's why we really want to continue this series.
We need to win. ”
And, by the way, to take revenge ...
The @UBBrugby to Jean Bouin!
Kick-off this Saturday at 15:15
Go Paris!
# SFPUBBpic.twitter.com / ul3KFZt51G
- Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) November 20, 2020
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Calendar and results Top 14 2020/2021