La Rochelle-MHR: with only one point taken away this season, Montpellier is a class dunce away from home

Dans leur opération maintien, les Montpelliérains d'Arthur Vincent doivent faire tourner le compteur à l'extérieur. MAXPPP – JEAN MICHEL MART

The Héraultais are traveling poorly this season. Their redemption will come through more solidity outside their bases, with seven trips for six receptions at the start of the return phase. First test (capital letter), this Saturday in La Rochelle, double reigning European champion.  

Fabien Galthié's Blues are entering a new era. The MHR of Bernard Laporte's quintet too. Everyone has their own goal: conquer the World Cup in four years for the French XV, escape from the Top 14 bowl during the return phase for their Hérault counterpart. The maintenance operation started by the latter is no less noble, particularly in view of the positivism escorting the group, which left to regenerate this week near Saint-Tropez.

We are convinced that if we succeed in implementing what we want, there will surely be something positive in the end

"It's great, it's going very well", it's' ;#39;first exclaimed co-trainer Christian Labit, before drawing all the virtues from it: "We find ourselves isolated among ourselves, it's& nbsp;the first time this season that the boys find themselves in training, they learn to discover themselves better. Frankly, we don't look at the bottom of the table, we look more at how we do things and what we need to improve. We are convinced that if we succeed in implementing what we want, there will surely be something positive in the end. The state of mind is there, it’s our first victory."

Learning to travel

Winger Julien Tisseron confirms: "It's true, the enthusiasm and pleasure of playing well collectively outweigh the stress." Inducted last November to save the MHR soldier, the red lantern for ages, the staff led by Patrick Collazo succeeded in their first mission: stopping the&# 39;hemorrhage, reassure the fundamentals of defense and conquest, restore volume in attack, instill confidence. He will now enter the hard part, animated by a totem phrase: learning to travel.

In our situation, all points will count in the end.

The observation outside the GGL Stadium is indeed damning for Montpellier, holder of a meager bonus point won in Lyon in six trips. A figure which alone explains the club's last place. Labit, who has long experienced the battle to maintain with US Carcassonne, knows the value of the nest egg won when snatched. "It is not enough to win , we are also looking for points. When you have to win a point or keep it, you have to do it. In our situation, all points will count in the end." Like a warning bell. 

Put back the mistigri

A nod to the calendar, the MHR will be exported twice consecutively, to La Rochelle on Saturday, then to Racing 92 on February 17. It’s hard to be more massive. If the adage is that this evening outside we judge characters, then Anthony Bouthier and his partners will feel the pot boiling. And, like the Blues against Ireland, the Montpellier residents are preparing for a head-on clash with seven forwards on the substitutes' bench. 

The MHR, which will have to travel seven times in thirteen matches, however has the cards in hand. In the four-way match between him and Lyon, Perpignan and Oyonnax, he will receive the first two (25th and 22nd days), with the ulterior motive of passing on the mistigri to his neighbor as quickly as possible. Why not starting this weekend ?