David Irazoqui, new Basque blood for Béziers against Biarritz

David Irazoqui, ancien demi d’ouverture, est un adepte du jeu de mouvement. Midi Libre – Laurent François

Originaire de Saint-Jean-de-Luz dont il entraînait l’équipe en N2, la saison écoulée, David Irazoqui a rejoint Béziers à l’intersaison. Adepte du jeu de mouvement, il s’occupe des trois quarts.

It is 11:30 a.m. at the Raoul-Barrière stadium. Coming out of a particularly studious training session, David Irazoqui is wearing a broad smile. Clearly, the new coach of the three-quarters of Béziers, who are hosting Biarritz this Thursday (9 p.m.), has found a cleat that fits his foot. It is true that by setting down his suitcases in the city of Riquet, he was not really landing in the unknown having particularly followed the progress of ASBH last season: “Pierre Caillet, the club manager, was looking for someone to strengthen his staff, a profile a bit like mine, a young coach, arriving with ideas, explains David Irazoqui. Last year, he made me work a lot on his matches. We clicked, both on a human and rugby level, and Pierre offered me the opportunity to come and work with him."

The Basque native of Saint-Jean-de-Luz (N2), who he was still coaching last season, therefore left his job (he worked as a management controller in a company trading in charcuterie and salting) to devote himself to his passion.

A game of movement and initiatives

And trying to bring his own touch to Béziers rugby: “The Béziers game suits me with a lot of movement, initiatives, a desire to possess the ball and put the opponent in difficulty with speed, explains the former half opening.My playing philosophy is attack, movement, duel and combat. The hidden phase of a good attack is combat. Today, rucks are essential and even more offensively in order to keep up the speed of the game. For now, it's only the beginning of the season, there are benchmarks to create, work, but Béziers' game corresponds to what I had imagined."

With, for a first home game, a big player arriving at Raoul-Barrière. Facing Biarritz, ASBH will have to erase all the handling errors that tended to hamper its game in Nice during the first day, where it won (9-13): “Biarritz is a great team, with a quality squad. We have a big test. For me, who is Basque, it is true that this is a special moment!

Hervé Billaud: “The goal is to do as well”

Hervé Billaud, the new chairman of the board of ASBH, will experience his first official home match of the season this Thursday. And he says that his team intends to continue riding the wave of happiness from the Pro D2 final phase: “The goal is to do as well, or even better, than in the last championship, he announces. We have the squad and the staff needed to achieve this. Of course, we have to be uncompromising at home." The BO is therefore warned, it will not have an easy game against a team that only has two changes compared to the Nice match, Plazy and Fernandes being injured.

At 9 p.m. at the Raoul-Barrière stadium:

Béziers: Lorre- Tuimaba, Recor, Gontineac, Courtaud- (o) Malié- (m) Marques- Ancely (cap.), Pauta, Van Bost- Nkinsi, Dodson- Judge, Gonzalez, Amrouni.
Substitutes: Boulassel, El Maslouhi, Gayraud, Abescat, Añon, Dreuille, Tupuola, Arroyo 

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