Pierre-Yves Revol, the president of Castres Olympique, had sounded the alarm even before the reception of La Rochelle on Saturday.
Strong words.
"
I will scrutinize the behavior of each other and if I see signs of weakness or dissension outside or on the ground in the next fortnight, count on me to try to remedy them... Success is collective but the Failure is often individual,
he thundered in a message posted on the club's website
.
I know that I will be the first responsible if it happens and therefore it is up to me in the first place to seek to activate all the right springs in this difficult period at the level of coaching and players.
»
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Fears that were well founded.
After 29 matches (including two draws) and 26 months of invincibility, the Tarn club folded in their den of Pierre-Fabre against Stade Rochelais (32-17).
“We are beaten by a team much better than us.
They are not European champions by chance,
could only see Pierre-Henry Broncan, the Castres coach.
We should have not made any mistakes, even if we had the opportunity to come back to five points just under a quarter of an hour from the end of the match, with good momentum.
We come across a team that is good, that makes few mistakes, few faults.
Who's better than us, that's all.
She has very good players and they showed it on the pitch.
»
“It had to happen.
It happened today, against the European champions.
Pierre-Yves Revol had warned his troops:
"The slightest misstep at home will lead us to fight for maintenance."
Here we are.
Stuck in 11th place in the standings, the finalist of the last Top 14 (defeat against Montpellier) has only 32 points, like Pau, and only two points ahead of Perpignan (13th) and six over Brive (14th).
This struggle to maintain, far from the recent habits of the CO, Pierre-Henry Broncan was prepared for it.
“It was already the case before the meeting (on Saturday).
The championship is very tough, we know that.
We have to tighten up and now all the matches will count in the fight to maintain ourselves, ”
he warns.
Read alsoTop 14: Pierre-Henry Broncan, rugby in the genes
And this setback at home,
“it had to happen.
It happened today, against the European champions,
ahead, fatalistic, the Tarn technician.
We would of course have liked to win this match, but we were far from it sincerely compared to the control of La Rochelle.
The recent record of Castres Olympique is alarming with only two successes and a draw in the last eleven days in the Top 14 (plus four defeats in the Champions Cup).
A rhythm of relegation when Perpignan, for example, wakes up …
In recent seasons, the CO has often suffered less well after having shone the previous season.
As was the case after the 2013 title (where the club flirted with relegation) or in 2018-2019, when the CO did not qualify for the final stages, after six defeats at home.
New slack this season.
But on the side of La Rochelle, we obviously savor this success in (very) hostile land.
“Winning at Castres in a career happens very rarely.
It's never a cakewalk to come here,
recalled the second line and captain of the Martitimes, Romain Sazy.
There is a big fervor, the public pushes a lot.
We must not waste this victory.”
Final sprint against three rivals
The Tarnais will have to fight hard to avoid, perhaps not the last relegated place, but the 13th, that of barrage against the unfortunate finalist of the Pro D2.
A trap match that the resident of Top 14 has only won once in four editions (Perpignan last year).
The result therefore promises to be full-bodied for Castres, with in particular trips to Bayonne and Montpellier, and electrical receptions in Toulouse and Toulon.
Read alsoTop 14: Parisse in tears in the locker room, his red card on video
But it's a real final sprint against direct rivals that awaits the CO during the last three days: with two risky trips to Pau then Brive, before receiving Usap on the last day.
"It's my job, that's how it is.
The coach is under pressure even when he goes to the championship final.
The pressure, it is there all the time
, ”says Pierre-Henry Broncan, who would be on an ejection chair.
His abrupt methods would pass less and less with his group.
He could, according to
Midi Olympique
, be replaced by Irishman Jeremy Davidson, who recently passed through Brive (2018-2022).
The CO yo-yo is spectacular this year.
There is great concern on the banks of the Agout.
