The international back admits having “left too much energy in extra-rugby” this season, but believes he can leave Perpignan with his “head held high” after helping the Catalan club, victorious on Sunday in the play-off to access the Top 14 in Mont-de-Marsan (41-16), to stay in the top flight.
Are you relieved to have contributed, with your 26 points, to maintaining Usap before joining Toulouse next season?
Melvyn Jaminet: “It’s a satisfaction, I’m very happy that the club remains in the Top 14. I couldn’t have hoped for better. I can walk out with my head held high. I told my teammates that I only wanted one thing: to return next season to Aimé-Giral. We room a little, some tell me that they will put me small tackles, but it’s still nice. Everyone is happy, everyone congratulated me and it’s still a joy when it ends like that.
Do you think you were targeted by Mont-de-Marsan under the high balls, a sector in which you experienced some difficulties in the France team?
“I know it caused a lot of talk during the Six Nations Tournament. I had a slump and tried to fix it. Personally, I knew it was just a bit of a slump and I’m glad everything went well today. I wanted to give a good performance. I don’t know if it’s perfect, but I’m very happy. I had a somewhat complicated season at the club. I doubted quite a few times because I was not ready to face everything that was happening around me. When all that was emptied and it was over, I took pleasure in the end of the season.
Read alsoLarge winner of Mont-de-Marsan, Perpignan remains in the Top 14
The formalization of your departure to Toulouse, which has long been an open secret, has it taken a weight off you?
“It was a release, of course. At the beginning, we do not attach too much importance to everything that is said around this transfer. Afterwards, as it goes on, it takes over and I think I also veiled my face mentally, to the fact that it didn’t affect me. After a while, by dint of thinking about it, we do less good training during the week. We are less efficient with the team in matches and I think that has been seen at times. That’s what I regret, having left too much energy in extra-rugby. I would have learned over this season to manage everything that was happening outside of rugby.