Stade Français - Lyon: "For the future of the club," the Parisians are playing for their survival against Karim Ghezal's LOU

The weather forecast predicts some cloudy spells at the Stade Jean-Bouin this Saturday late afternoon, with temperatures reaching 20°C. It's expected to be much warmer on the pitch where the Parisians will be playing for their Top 14 survival against Lyon (4:30 p.m.). A thunderstorm could even break out there in the event of a defeat. It's been threatening, in any case, for many weeks.

The facts are simple. There are three matches left and the Parisian club is in 13th place, a relegation play-off position, just one point ahead of Vannes, who are in the Pro D2 relegation zone, and three behind twelfth-placed Perpignan, the position they need to achieve to avoid any disappointment after June 7 and the end of this regular season.

"Rugby is about statistics, but also about feeling," retorts manager Paul Gustard. "And in that respect, the quality of our training was good this week, better than in previous matches." We reassure ourselves as best we can. The defeat at Perpignan last Saturday (20-18) proves that the Parisians are where they belong in the lower reaches of the standings and that they have no more reason to hope than their rivals. After hosting LOU, Paul Gabrillagues and his teammates will travel to Clermont on May 31 before hosting Castres on June 7. Perpignan travels to Clermont, then to La Rochelle, and will finish by hosting Toulouse. Vannes travels to Bayonne this Saturday before hosting Pau and going to Bordeaux. Place your bets...

"The defensive bonus point we earned in Perpignan was very important," added Gustard. "We had a good preparation. Victory is essential, but it's the same for the others. For us, the focus is on performing well. The rest is out of our control."

While the speeches are cautious and measured, a state of emergency has been declared for two weeks. A mental coach now works with the Soldiers twice a week and will remain until the end of the season. "It does us good to express our frustrations, our emotions, and to share them," assures prop Paul Alo-Emile . "We're all in the same boat."

His teammate, South African Jeremy Ward, adds: "We are all responsible. I'm not French, but I'm playing for the future of the club, not for my career." Paul Alo-Emile calls it a "final," a "last chance."

To take control of their destiny, the Parisians have no choice. They must start by dominating this LOU led by Karim Ghezal, their former manager, dismissed at the end of September, a few months before the director of rugby Laurent Labit, both of whom were removed in favor of... Paul Gustard . By ignoring the reception of Pau (27-29 defeat) last week, Fabien Galthié's former assistant seems to have particularly targeted this match, approached as a revenge. One more challenge for Stade Français.