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Calendar and results Top 14
Ronan O'Gara, the manager of La Rochelle, did not even deign to appear in front of the press after the defeat of his team, Saturday night, on the synthetic turf of Racing 92 (23-10). Already, when the Ile-de-France residents had made the difference at the end of the match on a (logical) penalty try granted to Gaël Fickou, we could see the Irish technician laughing yellow, as if the Maritimes were victims of an injustice. It wasn't. And Stade Rochelais was going to end up losing after having largely dominated the debates, held the ball and having obtained countless test chances. “
In the first half, the domination is obvious but the lack of realism is total,
admits captain Romain Sazy
.
We have a lot of regrets.
We had the impression of reliving last week
(defeat against Toulouse 16-20, at the start of the season).
It's been twice… We dominate the matches but we don't win them.
"
Read alsoRacing 92-La Rochelle: the favorites and claws of our special correspondent
A crying lack of efficiency. A little bit ahead here, an approximation there, the Maritimes harvested at the Arena de Nanterre. “
It is not necessarily haste because we hold the ball on several sequences,
explains the third-line center of the XV of France, Grégory Alldritt.
We so want to put in energy, to give everything we have, that in fact it becomes messy. Maybe you have to lower the cursor, not be at 120% but be at 100% and raise the lucidity, the concentration and maybe we will get there.
"And to add:"
We make stupid little mistakes. These are small mistakes, but if everyone makes their own, in the end, that's a lot. This is what happened.
"
“
The satisfaction is that mentally, in the commitment, we were there.
A lack of precision, you work on training, but a lack of commitment, it's harder to work.
"
Gregory Alldritt
After two defeats against the champions of the championship, the vice-champion of France and Europe, however, keeps a cool head.
And takes time.
“
There was a big lack of precision in the opposing camp, a lack of efficiency, it was obvious.
We will work on this point.
The satisfaction is that mentally, in the commitment, we were there.
A lack of precision, you work on training, but a lack of commitment, it's harder to work,
”continues Alldritt.
Same observation from Captain Sazy: "
Is it better to start from there or say to ourselves that we are bad and that we have taken 30?
I prefer that there are small adjustments on the second day than a big delay.
The holidays were quite short, the group is almost the same, I can tell you that the dynamics are there.
And it will change.
We will have to find solutions to score, score when necessary and validate our highlights.
"
No friendlies
Stade Rochelais was the only team in the Top 14 not to play any friendly match before the start of the season.
Perhaps one of the explanations for this small ignition delay.
“
It's only the second day.
We promise, we will stand up and we will get there
, ”insists Romain Sazy.
But, already, looming next Saturday (9:05 pm), a perilous trip to Clermont, which has not yet won either and which will have to redeem itself in front of its audience.
“
Little reminder: we have never won at Michelin.
In any case, I never won ...
"
Romain Sazy
At the Charente club since 2010, Romain Sazy knows full well what awaits him in Auvergne. “
Little reminder: we have never won at Michelin. In any case, me, I never won, he
says.
I think this is the only field where we have not won. It would be something nice ... But they will be keen to welcome us.
“And, from the third day of the Top 14, the Rochelais will cross paths with their former manager Jono Gibbes, who has still not won with his new training (defeat in Lyon, loss at home against Castres). "
We won't be under pressure, I don't think so. We have a bunch of days left, there are two defeats against two big ones. It is far too early to take stock. We will have to wait until the end of October to discuss it. We will try to recover points fairly quickly,
”explains Grégory Alldritt.
