Namibia captain, Johan Deysel is playing his third season with Colomiers. After a last exercise marred by a shoulder injury, a typhoon in Japan in the middle of the World Cup and the Covid crisis, he hopes to live a more radiant 2020-2021 season.
Johan, have you had the opportunity to return home to Namibia since the Covid crisis?
Not yet. My last stay in Namibia even dates back to the summer of 2019 when we were preparing for the World Cup in Japan. Since then, I have not been able to return home, the Covid crisis requires. Too bad because I am the father of a little boy (Luan, born in March, Editor’s note) and I would have liked to present him to my parents.
Do you have any hope to go back there soon?
A priori, in December, I hope. The borders have just reopened for tourism and the situation there is correct. There are few cases but we have it is true little population (less than 3 million inhabitants, editor’s note).
How did you experience the episode of confinement in France last spring?
It was not easy, but at least I was able to take full advantage of my baby and recover well from my shoulder injury which spoiled the World Cup but also my season with Colomiers. With this cut, I was able to recover and prepare well.
It is true that between the shoulder injury, the Covid crisis not to mention the typhoon in Japan which deprived you of Namibia of the match against Canada at the World Cup, this 2019-2020 exercise has been black for you.
We can say that indeed (laughs). I had a bad season. But it’s true that this last game not played against Canada is a real frustration. We were aiming for this match, we’ve been preparing for it for three years, knowing that against New Zealand and the Springboks we had no chance and that against Italy, it would still be complicated. So we were betting everything on Canada. And I think that for them too, it was the case with us. This is how.
After 2015 and 2019, we imagine that you are ready for a third World Cup.
Yes, especially since it will be in France. For me, that would be great because I like you very much. But it’s getting harder and harder to qualify. Teams like Kenya, Zimbabwe are making huge progress.
Obviously, you feel good in France.
Indeed. I am at the end of my contract with Colomiers but I would like to stay in France. It’s up to me to have a good season to get noticed and have opportunities.
Colomiers could be one of them.
Of course. I like this club, the style of rugby offered by our staff.
What can Colomiers aspire to this season?
At least qualifying in the six. Frankly, we have a strong and balanced team with good young people pushing. Not to qualify would be a failure, there would be no excuse. If we are not there, it will be all our fault.
You talk about young people. There is a great generation here.
Indeed, there are some very good players emerging, who have potential and a bright future ahead of them. Here, we give them their chance by offering them playing time. It’s a good thing for them and for the club.
You return to competition today, after three weeks of cutoff due to postponed matches. It’s getting confusing, isn’t it?
Indeed, it is not always obvious. You prepare for a match intensely, you work on specific points during training and everything falls apart at the last moment. It’s quite unsettling and frustrating. But we are all in the same boat in this very special season. And that can never be an excuse.
The teams
CARCASSONNE : Mc Mahon; Jasmin, Glover, Rey, Dulon; (o) Meret, (m) Page-Relo; Koffi, Meite, Huguet; Dry, Manchia; Facundo, Carbou, Ursache (chap.).Rempl. :Sauveterre, Dardet, Dyer, Doumenc, Pichon, Seguy, Martocq, Azar.COLOMIERS : Girard; Delas, Perrin, Deysel, Moro; (o) Poet, (m) Queheille; Lescure, Macovei (cap.), Ponpon; Granouillet, Ricard; Palma Newport, Larrieu, Pirlet.Rempl. :Marty-Rybak, Dubois, Chartier, Pacheco, Zaitri, Palisson, Gori, Delmas.Referee: David Beun (Provence).
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