Top 14: Stade Français refuses to consider the worst

Fear in the capital. This Saturday evening, Stade Français is playing for its future in 80 minutes . A victory against Castres and the Parisian club will finish in ^12th place, just above the waterline. Truth be told, the Parisians can lose and stay up if Stade Toulousain wins at Perpignan, their rival for survival. But if the Catalans win and Paris doesn't beat Castres, it will be a case of fear in knots. A place in the elite will be decided in a straight match against the unfortunate Pro D2 finalist, next Saturday, on the latter's pitch. Dizzying.

To avoid this prospect, and also to avoid looking at what's happening at Aimé-Giral, the simplest thing remains to beat the Tarnais, who haven't won in Paris since April 14, 2001, 24 years ago. That's to say, an eternity. And according to the mathematical law that each series gets a little closer to its end each time...

The Parisians have no reason to be proud before hosting a CO team that is in the running for qualification to the final phase. The Pink Soldiers have won only one of their last six Top 14 matches (5 defeats, but admittedly, four away). Their only success? A miracle, 31-30, against LOU, who were only a few centimeters away, this drop goal from Lyon's Léo Berdeu that touched the post 30 seconds before the final whistle...

Even more worrying, Paris has been playing poorly since the start of the season. Lack of drive, no common thread for a game that's still lying fallow. Stade Français will arrive Saturday evening with the ^13th worst attack in the top flight, ^12th in terms of number of crossings or meters covered. Fortunately, the defense... Not even. ^13th in this ranking, with only the promoted Vannes side doing worse. Really nothing to crow about. Especially since Paris will have to do without its key player, Sekou Macalou (9 tries scored, the SFP's top scorer this season in the Top 14), who has injured his ankle and is out.

"We're having a very complicated season. A shitty season, you could say. We've been bored all year."

Romain Briatte

"We're having a very complicated season. A shitty season, you could say ," says Romain Briatte. "We've been bored all year. If, in this last match, we can find a common ground in terms of spirit and please our supporters who have also had a complicated year..." We ask him the reasons for this decline, less than a year after coming so close to playing in the Top 14 final. The third-row player sighs. "What's been lacking since the start of the season? Our second halves. But we don't know how to explain it. In terms of character, in terms of spirit, no doubt. As soon as we're in a bit of a tough spot, there's this recurring lack of confidence..."

Also in charge of the weekly press conference, hooker Lucas Peyresblanques was no more forthcoming. "Our biggest flaw all season is that we haven't managed to play 80 minutes. But there's only one game left, we have to find something positive to remotivate ourselves. We're counting on the support of our fans to maintain intensity and concentration for 80 minutes." The time for analysis is over. "We haven't talked much this week. We want to get back to our actions. We have no choice. This is the game for survival," Briatte summarized. Before indicating the way forward. "Despite the pressure on our shoulders, we'll have to remain clear-headed, united, and supportive. Really, until the ^80th minute."

For us, it's a final. Nothing will happen after that, there are no other matches, our season ends on Saturday. We don't need to watch the multiplex. We're on vacation at 11 p.m...."

Lucas Peyresblanques

The Basque is known for being stubborn. Peyresblanques is no exception. Questioned and challenged, he refuses to imagine the worst. "For us, it's a final. Nothing will happen after that, there are no other matches, our season ends on Saturday. If we win, we're saved. We're not looking for anything else, we don't need to watch the multiplex. We win and we're on vacation at 11 p.m...."

The hooker is trying to find positive signals. "There's bound to be tension. When you lose, it calls a lot of things into question. But, over the past few weeks, we've made progress on the team's state of mind. We've regained cohesion by working with a mental coach. We've had some good weeks in training for the past month and a half. I hope we'll turn it up against Castres. Make sure it finally pays off..."

Will the Pink Soldiers, hardly used to having their backs against the wall, withstand the pressure? "We're working on managing our emotions with mental preparation," confirms flanker Romain Briatte. "It's complicated when you go from a season where you played in the semi-finals, where players earned selections for the French national team, to this difficult season. We don't arrive every morning with a smile on our faces. There have been difficult moments. We missed some matches, we let others slip. But that builds a career. Fortunately, there's always a very good atmosphere between us. No worries." Really? "We have no choice. Saturday, at 11 p.m., we move on and we'll meet again in mid-July to get back on track..."