Top 14 – “We were shocked by these two access matches”, Mathew Acebes refuses to play for play-offs
The race to keep up is tighter than ever. If the last place in the top 14 seems promising to Oyonnax, the thirteenth level of the entry barrier has not yet chosen its prey. Mathieu Assebs and Usap gave themselves a favorable excuse by pointing to the eleventh step of the championship, but be careful not to fall asleep just two points ahead of the red zone.
breath of oxygen. The 19th day of the championship redistributed the card in favor of Perpignan. Victory of the Catalans at Oyonnax (14-15) Defeats to remaining contenders Montpellier (54-7 loss at Mayol) and Lyon (22-13 loss at Jean-Bouin) move Mathieu Assebs and his team to eleventh place in the rankings. Enough to give hope to the captain of Sang et Or. Speaking to Sud Radio, he said: “We are fighting to try to survive in this Championship and above all to keep this club that deserves to be in the top 14.”
The club’s return at the end of the 2020-2021 season has earned Usap the right to hold the card to avoid imposing a third entry barrier on itself in as many seasons. If during the last two editions of the Top 14, the access matches favor the Catalans (2021/22: 16-41 win at Mont-de-Marsan; 2022/23: 19-33 win at Grenoble), Mathieu Acebes refuses to play. Keeps it in a cleaver match: “We were so shocked by these two access matches that it was hard to live with. It’s always difficult to play everything in a match, lose everything and just win the right to be in the top 14.”
“Perpignan is the worst place to play rugby if you lose”
The fervor of Catalan supporters no longer needs to be proven. Spence at the Charles Mathon Stadium in Oyonnax saw the landing of more than 500 pennies who had come to push their men 550 kilometers from their home ground. A decisive victory. This second triumphant trip and a streak of seven consecutive home wins almost makes us forget the difficult start to the season for Mathieu Acebs’ teammates, although it hasn’t been easy: “With seven games to go, we want to focus on ourselves and put in a successful performance. We will account at the end. What is certain is that the team showed great character, we started with four losses and we managed to bounce back. .Certain climate.I will always remember what Patrick Arletaz says “Perpignan is the most beautiful place to play rugby if you win, but it can be the worst if you lose.” The supporters are very demanding and don’t let anything go, you have to know how to live with this pressure at this club.”
Time to stop?
“I think it’s time for me to stop at USAP,” Matthew reaffirms Acebas. The 36-year-old winger announced his departure from Catalonia at the end of the season in early March.But this time Basque casts doubt on a possible sporting retirement: “I’ve been on the field for years, giving mentally and physically and it’s still very tiring (…). Of course rugby is part of my life, it’s my life, but you also have to know how New challenges that are always present in a player’s daily life: “I feel good in my mind, I’ve prepared for my post-career. I did a lot of things during my career that made me ‘good today’ . I was 19, I worked on the side without telling anyone, I try to keep a balance.’
The man with 165 match sheets with Usap is not closing the door on rugby and intends to finish the season in the best way possible: “I didn’t say I wouldn’t stay in rugby, I didn’t say I was closing the door to do something else, but for the moment in my mind, I want to enjoy Perpignan, I have seven games left. , I with Perpignan I want to take everything there is to take. To communicate with the supporters, my family, my friends. To finish on a really good note with Perpignan and after the rest would be the most beautiful thing that could happen to me. , I always do something So find out, I still have the power.”
“When I took over the captaincy I was given a mission, which was to get back to the top 14 and keep the club in the top 14”
Now it’s time for Captain Assebs to complete the mission by keeping the club in the top 14 at the end of the regular season without causing himself one last scare.
