With two defeats to start the season, the SUA found itself under pressure from this third day. In fact, this trip to Grenoble promises to be tense. But Agen has everything to gain there.
Everything did not go as planned at the start of the season. If the defeat in Bayonne was expected, that against Béziers is still not digested in Agen. Especially the sad spectacle proposed by the men of Régis Sonnes. Which caused concern throughout the SUA environment.
In this context, Jean-François Fonteneau, the president, who had voluntarily taken a step back on the sporting part this summer, left his reserve. In the program “Parlons rugby” of 47 FM, Monday evening, he expressed his annoyance at the rendering of his team. And no secret that at the end of this first block, he would take stock with the staff. “When you lose all your matches since your arrival, there is necessarily pressure, concedes Régis Sonnes. But the personal questioning is continuous.”
The atmosphere is therefore tense in Armandie. If last year, the SUA could argue the difference in level indisputable with the Top 14 teams, this season, this is no longer the case. Its budget and staff are adequate for a place in the qualifiers, but the mayonnaise has yet to catch on. But time is urgent.
Willingness to play displayed
In this championship, admittedly long, all points count. And before moving against the competitor from Grenoble, Agen already has a grilled joker. Everything will therefore count. The result first. “When you read all the comments, there is this obligation”, expresses the manager. However, a positive result will go through a release in the game, with this famous initiative taken dear to the former Toulouse. “We want the players to express themselves more. We need to be able to ventilate our game, find excess numbers. And not stay in complicated areas where the opponent puts pressure on us as against Béziers.”
Unlike the Hérault residents, the Grenoblois have been enjoying open rugby for several seasons, “with a team that plays rugby well, is dynamic and offers plenty of play”. The physiognomy should therefore lend itself more to the expectations of the Agen coach.
But to play this rugby, it is above all necessary to ensure its fundamentals. We therefore expect a team reaction in the aggressiveness, the rucks and the touch in particular. From this alone, the offensive qualities of this team will be able to derive. And cross the shelves last Friday’s game.
The teams
GRENOBLE : Capuozzo; Guillemin, Fusier, Séguret, Gadiri (o) Barthélémy (m) Escande; Blanc-Mappaz (cap), Martel, Schoeman; Ruaud, Madeira; Taufa, Sarragallet, Eglaine.Substitutes : Gimenez, Zhvania, Malaifonua, Guillaumond, Valençot, Glénat, Ezcurra, Montagne.AGENT : Louvet; Etcheverry, Sloan, Reid, Railevu (o) Vincent, (m) Graou; Duputs (cap), Nollet, Lokotui; Maravat, Demotte; Desmaison, Martinez, Duprat. Substitutes : Bregvadze, Guion, Salmon, Jegerlehner, Bellot, Lacombe, Ramoka, Ryan.
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