Affirming his status as champion of France the following season is always difficult.
And sometimes dangerous.
We remember in particular the Stade Français, which, after its title obtained in 2015, had narrowly escaped relegation the following season.
But for Montpellier, this year, there is no question of maintenance.
The Héraultais, however, have a disappointing course in all respects.
Only 10th in the championship, and seven points behind 6th, Lyon, three days from the end, Philippe Saint-André's men have probably said goodbye to the final stages after the defeat against Bayonne two weeks ago (33- 30).
To discover
Schedule and Top 14 results
Ranking Top 14
“
The final stages
?
Oh dear, no.
We should be 10th today.
Castres passed in front of us.
Let's try to be already in the eight to be European
”declared the manager of the Cistes after the defeat on the Basque coast.
Against Brive this Sunday (5 p.m.), Montpellier will first have to win and then try to chain successes and maintain hope.
A wake-up call in Exeter then... nothing
After a festive summer, Montpellier attacked the season with a new status to assume.
And this, for the first time in its history.
The French champion first fell in La Rochelle, the reigning European champion, for the first match of the season (26-22).
Without panic, the Cists then reacted by chaining three consecutive successes against UBB, Brive and Pau.
But following, and like an irregular season in terms of result and content, Anthony Bouthier's teammates chained four defeats.
The beginning of the fall.
The alternation of wins/losses will continue to dictate the MHR season.
However in February, and after another defeat against Toulon (18-20), Philippe Saint-André had tried to wake up his troops.
“
Now is the time to stick together, to show solidarity.
Some leaders have to win
, ”explained the former coach of the Blues.
In vain.
In March, the Cistes had found their colors by first hitting Clermont then winning at Aimé-Giral against Perpignan, where it is never easy to win.
Zach Mercer will leave the club for Gloucester next season.
SYLVAIN THOMAS / AFP
At the beginning of April, Montpellier was nevertheless in the nails in the Top 14 and in the Champions Cup.
“
It's a competition that this club and a lot of players miss.
We had surely made it one of our main objectives even if we know that it will be more difficult than in the Top 14 where the rhythm and the style of play are different
, ”said Vincent Rattez at Le Figaro just before the eighth final against Exeter. .
This match, which the MHR lost after extra time and after contested and questionable refereeing decisions, had nevertheless brought hope to Montpellier supporters.
A favorable calendar?
Now focused on the championship, the men of Saint-André then sank against Castres at home (19-28).
A defeat that was not at all passed on to the Montpellier manager.
“
There is shame tonight.
There is shame in relation to our public, our president, our partners and the people who follow us.
In rugby, if you don't want to put on the physical dimension, you can't play
.
Before adding:
I am also the first responsible.
Even if we warned the guys during the week, we must have prepared them very badly.
If you think that just by putting on the shirt, because you were champion of France and you had a good match at Exeter, that's enough… Tonight, we don't have shoulder pain.
I am very angry.
Again, I'm ashamed of the content.
We were ready to play table tennis and not rugby
.
Even if the content was more convincing a week later, the MHR fell again against Bayonne, at the last second, in the lair of Jean-Dauger (33-30).
So now what should be done?
The equation is simple.
The Hérault club must win everything, hoping for a few defeats here and there from its direct competitors.
And when we look at the three upcoming matches for Paolo Garbisi's teammates, we say to ourselves that, on paper, it may be doable.
Of the three meetings, Montpellier will receive twice.
First Brive, almost condemned to relegation, then La Rochelle, a week before their Champions Cup final against Leinster.
The Héraultais will end the season with a trip to Pau, another poorly ranked.
As you will have understood, destiny no longer belongs to the people of Montpellier.
And a false step against Brive would bury the last hopes of qualification of the reigning French champion.
