After MHR’s elimination in the European Cup quarter-final against La Rochelle (31-19), players and staff from both teams presented themselves at a press conference.
Montpellier Herault Rugby
Philip Saint-Andre (MHR Director): “First, we must congratulate La Rochelle on their victory and the audience who created an exceptional atmosphere. I wish them well for the rest of the competition. I think we found a lot of courage, from the heart. We are in part at 60And. After that, we lacked a bit of subtlety. They were extremely powerful in contact areas. We see that they are used to playing the final stages. This was only the second time for us in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
We were in the 12th week in a row with 80% of our workforce rotating. Now we need to renew. mentally special. From now on, we will focus on the fourteen positions. We have two matches left in the 14 places. We will be bringing in 7.8 players to race. Today, even if diminished, our state of mind is above reproach. When we get back to two points, I think we can do that. Or at least make them complain. But we made mistakes, we weren’t a bit accurate.”
Vincent Ratiz (MHR Suite): “We have a complicated twenty minutes. We suffer a lot. But we score a good attempt for us which allows us to stay in the game. After that, in general, we ran a lot behind the ball, we moved a lot. The result I did is not stolen, it is a logical result.
We knew their West-Sinzelle duo played a pivotal role a lot. Vito also took the show a lot and it hurts us. Uini (Atonio) and Greg (Alldritt) who took the lead. They guarantee the first few times of play and behind them play in defense from distance. We feared this game abroad. And once they get a little rest, they become dangerous.
In a state of mind, this match benefits us. It does not reassure us, but it helps us. We’ve been building on that for a year and a half. The holidays will be good. I’m starting to screw up a little bit, mentally and physically. It’s a blessing in disguise even if we’d rather not take a vacation.
We know our playing style. It’s not nice to see but we do know that in the final stages there are a few lower quality flights. There is a lot of defense / occupation. There were two opponents in the method. She won the pass match today.”
Rochelles Stadium
Grégory Alldritt (3rd line and Stade Rochelais captain): “It was fantastic. We carried the crowd. It was important for us to have a good match in front of 17,000 fans. We went into the final stage and so did they.
In the match, we started to be very fond of these tests. We can’t afford to give too many gifts.
Quarters are always hooked. It’s no longer fun. The bench contribution was good. Our strategy was very good. We see that the few times we don’t respect it, we try to make the pass too much and we can see that we’re missing big chances. But I think we were the dominant ball in hand. We chose to carry the ball more than air fencing at the foot. The proof is that we are conducting tests on balloons that got lost in the air.”
Victor Vito (3rd line from Rochelle Stadium): “We didn’t feel any pressure. Qualifying is always special for the team and the club. The final stages are where we want to be the best. Nothing is guaranteed but we stay in the race. The opponent, we’ll see later. .Now I want to celebrate a little victory with the guys.”
Levani Botia (Stade Rochelais in Center): “It’s an unbelievable feeling. This competition is close to our hearts. Montpellier is a difficult team to play. I am really happy for the players, and this match will make us stronger. The team knows what is at stake in these difficult matches. It motivates us.”
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