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À Montauban, les claques s'enchaînent, l'espoir demeure : « On est capable de se maintenir »

Le manager de Montauban Sébastien Tillous-Borde, le regard inquiet. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP via Getty Images).

L’espoir fait vivre paraît-il. Et à Montauban, celui de sauver sa peau en Top 14 est légitime sur le plan comptable, l’USM, passée dernière à l’issue de la 14e journée, ne comptant que deux points de retard sur la treizième place synonyme d’access-match. Aujourd’hui son seul et unique espoir de se maintenir.

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Si l’on s’en tient en revanche à la dynamique du promu et qu’on la compare à celle de Perpignan, son concurrent à la survie, difficile d’être optimiste. À part deux ou trois matchs à Sapiac en début de saison, dont celui a la muerte gagné contre l’USAP (29-22), Montauban s’est retrouvé dans l’incapacité de rivaliser sur 80 minutes avec les autres clubs de Top 14. Des fessées et encore des fessées, à la maison comme à l’extérieur, trahissant un gouffre trop important avec les standards de l’élite.

« Ils peuvent encore créer l’exploit »

Malgré cet écart, son manager Sébastien Tillous-Borde veut encore croire au miracle, comme il l’a assuré à Rugbyrama. « On essaie de rester positif, de changer les choses qui ne vont pas. Il faut leur donner envie sur le terrain. Dialoguer avec les mecs est important pour qu’ils aient envie de se sauver. Il faut que tout le monde ait le même objectif. »

Après la quinzaine à venir de Challenge Cup, l’USM reprendra par son sommet de la deuxième partie de saison, à Perpignan, pour l’acte II du match de la peur. Avec l’occasion de renverser la table mais aussi l’hypothèse de voir son objectif maintien s’éloigner, quand bien même rien ne sera mathématiquement joué après cette rencontre.

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« Ils peuvent encore créer l’exploit de maintenir le club en Top 14, insiste Tillous-Borde. C’est leur histoire, notre histoire. S’ils ont envie de se sauver et de sauver le club, je suis encore sûr à 100 % qu’on peut le faire mais il faut que tout le monde ait envie de la même chose. On est capable de se maintenir donc j’aimerais que chacun se prenne en main pour monter encore le niveau et faire les efforts nécessaires pour atteindre cet objectif. »

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Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
It'll take a brave individual to coach these All Blacks

This is an over-dramatization of the AB HC role IMO. I agree something has been “off” since before the 2019 RWC - even the last Lion’s series and it has not all been down to “improvements” by other teams (although that is definitely a reality). I think Rassie (again) shows how a strong coach manages both the locker room and the public perceptions by earning public and team trust through his strength of character, team innovations and improvement, decisiveness, fairness and owning mistakes. A strong NZ coach should have nothing to fear coming in to this environment. Much as I had hopes for Razor after Hanson II and Foster, I think Kirk’s decision is the right one as it was obvious to many of us, the “trajectory” was not there. Same mistakes, confusion under pressure, lack of progress and worst, capitulation. The key is not who will take on the role, but who is selected for the role. I think the leading candidates are JJ, Rennie, Mitchell and somewhere a role for Schmidt and/or Wayne Smith. Razor’s biggest “failure” was his hesitancy, persisting with failing selections, being positive at the cost of being real and the aura he gave off of not knowing where the “fixes” were. The job came too soon for him but he can learn from it and grow. Hopefully, the new guy is bold and strong and has a good team around him because the other big failure of Razor’s tenure was his coaching team was also not ready for the big leagues.

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Hellhound 2 hours ago
It'll take a brave individual to coach these All Blacks

This reminds of the Wallabies and the road down for them. This firing was harsh, rash and not thought through. Just like NZRU jumped the gun with Foster, even announcing his replacement before the biggest tournament in rugby, the World Cup. There is a lot of speculation as to why he was fired or let go, none substantiated facts. For those who go through life with open eyes and follow the logical path, it will be clear from where the rot comes from. The NZRU board itself. The Union itself. Players and coaches change, but results don't. From the man in charge down is rotten. The AB's is still 2nd in the rankings list, still manage to beat the best teams. Maybe not as flashy as in the past, but definitely trending upwards. All of that momentum is now lost…AGAIN. Same mistakes from the board. The NZRU is busy making the AB's a joke now. The fans follow like blind bats and gobble up all the excuses for a decade now. The media report what the board wants people to know, not the facts. They are not very transparent. After Super Rugby, the Wallabies crashed and became almost none existent, a shadow of its former self, running through coaches and players. The same is starting to happen to the AB's. NZRU destroy everything they touch. When will the public address the real problem at hand? When the AB's are as bad as Wales and the Wallabies? Just when the AB's start to trend upwards, they shoot themselves in the foot once again. Firing a coach, before the biggest series NZ have had in many many years, the biggest rivalry. Before the Nation's Cup and the WC. 3 of arguably the biggest competitions in world rugby right now for 2026 and 2027. Fans can drop all expectations for winning any of the 3 competitions. New coach, new strategies, new everything. It takes time to settle a group of players. Even if the same crop of players gets used(which aren't good enough), it won't amount to sudden magical success. Winning percentages isn't everything, but filling the trophy cabinet is. Sack the board, not the coaches. The players and fans also need to realise that.

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