The end of an endless black series… Montpellier had not won in the Top 14 since the first day and a 26-15 success against Stade Rochelais which dated from… August 20! That’s 125 days without victory. In the process, the French champion club had a series of eight defeats in a row, which marked the end of the (short) mandate of the Englishman Richard Cockerill. The arrival of Bernard Laporte as director of rugby and a new staff led by Patrice Collazo did not have the desired effect. But, this Saturday, the MHR put an end to its dark thoughts by signing its first success in Top 14 since the start of this commando mission.
“It’s not a sigh of relief, it’s above all a reward for the players in relation to what they showed,” underlined Patrice Collazo to our colleagues at Midi Libre. There was a collective energy, periods where we gave everything, others where we were cornered without giving up anything. I’m happy for the guys when we see them in the locker room, for the staff too. This victory is worth more than 4 points, it is worth a lot of symbolic things.” Already, the Hérault club had (finally) found the path to victory by signing two successes in the Challenge Cup, against the English Newcastle (19-24) and against the Welsh Ospreys (38-5).
“The Challenge allowed us to clear our heads. We had good energy, we were able to manage when we were stuck. We are in a group dynamic, with a different discourse,” appreciates international opener Louis Carbonnel. A blowback also welcomed by Collazo, the former strongman of La Rochelle, Toulon and Brive: “We have players who have level, some had resigned in quite a few sectors, there we feel that they are present. I felt a united team with collective dynamics and energy.”
Perpignan’s victory against Bayonne did not, however, do the business of the MHR, which remains stuck at last with two points behind the Catalans. A good one to be confirmed next Saturday (2 p.m.) on the Lyon pitch, also in bad shape in a poor 12th place (16 points). “We saw that Perpignan had a great performance yesterday by winning with the bonus. We could have said things to each other but we know that we are left to our own devices to maintain ourselves, insists Louis Carbonnel. We no longer have the right to make mistakes at home, already. And if we manage to recover points outside…” The maintenance mission will go through that.