2023-12-01 14:21:51
Winter is barely here and Stade Français is already suffering from a cold. Not the best way to approach the clash against Toulouse, Sunday at the Jean-Bouin stadium (9:5 p.m.). In question, the misconduct of part of the group after the defeat in Pau last Saturday (30-6), eight players and two supervisors having left, defying the staff ban.
Above all, during this evening, one of them, the third center line Giovanni Habel-Küffner, allegedly punched a video analyst from the Pau Section for no reason. The 28-year-old, who arrived last season, risks dismissal. His spree partners were given lighter sanctions. While the Parisian club remains on two defeats (Pau and Racing 13-9 at Jean-Bouin the previous weekend) which relegated it to third place in the ranking, Laurent Labit, the new rugby director, hopes quickly turn the page on this unglamorous episode for the club’s image.
It wasn’t an ideal week before hosting Toulouse…
LAURENT LABIT. When we host Stade Toulouse, it’s always very special. In addition, we need to find victory again. What happened last weekend was the life of teams, collectives, new projects. What I want today is for us to focus on the match. There is a framework, we must respect the rules that we have set for ourselves. We resolve this internally.
Will these extra-sporting concerns have an impact on the field?
For us, the exhibition is not good but what interests us is that everyone gets to work. When we are at Stade Français, we have to get results. This was understood by everyone. The group had a very good week of work. We handled our stories internally. On the pitch, there will be the best players for us.
“We also have to be dangerous elsewhere than around our forwards”
Given what happened in Pau, did the training in the Pyrenees the previous week serve any purpose?
The internship went very well. We got what we were looking for in terms of exchanges, in terms of methodology. This doesn’t call anything into question. It may be a blessing in disguise. What happened will perhaps help us in the future. Our message is clear: you have to be at Stade Français for the right reasons, to win titles. We want to play with the best so we have to behave like the best. We spoke to the players about the history, the 140 years of the club which we will celebrate on Sunday. I repeat, you have to be in this club for the right reasons, to have a competitive spirit.
How do you explain your team’s decline?
Our arrival with Karim (Ghezal) was late (after the World Cup), there was a break due to the World Cup, and perhaps an excess of confidence. Against Racing and Pau, we lacked realism, we didn’t score a try. This absolutely needs to be taken care of. We changed the method a little. We don’t hold this against the players. We must insist on the strength of the club, the conquest and the forwards, but if we want to have ambitions, we must also be dangerous elsewhere than around our forwards. What interests us are the coming months, beyond this coming week.
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