MHR-Usap: “We all know that Montpellier is not in its place”, Catalan manager Franck Azéma talks about his team’s status as favorites

Le manager Franck Azéma est à la tête d’une équipe surprenante. L'INDEPENDANT – MICHEL CLEMENTZ

Full of confidence, the Catalans go to Montpellier on Saturday (5 p.m.) with the aim of knocking on the door of the top 6. "It's normal that you give us this status of favorites", admitted their manager Franck Azéma at a press conference this Thursday.

There has been a lot of talk about Usap in the media for a week, what is this causing in the group?

It’s this fervor, it means that we’re generating something, that the players are generating something, that’s positive. This is what we want when we play rugby. May people have fun, may there be communion, may everyone, our families, the public, our territory be the most History is beautiful when you share things.< /p>

We are clear about what we have to do. Players know the difference between their responsibilities and how to stay in this dynamic.

Also read: "In Perpignan, I had the locker next to Henry Tuilagi", the memories of Bastien Chalureau before MHR-Usap

You are coming off two good home matches, but you are struggling to reproduce these performances away. What more will we have to do ?

That's what it's like to play good away matches? It's winning every match? I'd like to do better but that's not the case. is not always easy. What we want is to continue to progress in our rugby, there are things that we are capable of imposing, others that we have been less successful in able to do, outside…

But it’s not a question of home or away but more of the quality of the teams. This weekend, we are going to have a big opposition. Are we going to be able to keep our intensity ? To produce ? To adapt ? We have to stay focused on ourselves, erase the small mistakes from the last match and improve.

"There will still be 11,000 Montpellier residents"

We are announcing a Catalan tide in the stands in Montpellier, what do you think of the excitement around the match ?

Since the start of the season, even when we were in difficulty, people have been patient and always supported us. We saw them moving en masse, to Castres, to Oyonnax… The proximity of Montpellier makes things a little easier. It’s great to see people mobilizing, it’s also the right time. We are arriving in spring, how we should approach these last 5 matches? We must not change course.

Also read: MHR-Usap ticket office: "The public of Perpignan must not invade us", Mohed Altrad reacts to the controversy

With 4,000 Blood and Gold supporters announced, you might feel at home…

I don't know, if we have 4000 supporters, that means that there will still be 11,000 Montpellier residents. I know we're going to have a voice. I remember that in “Oyo” with 500 supporters, it was pushing hard. It's one of the things that's fun and stimulating about the match. When you arrive at the stadium, when you go out to warm up, when you're in the tough…hellip;

Superbe essai Catalan 🤩

McIntyre s'en va inscrire le deuxième essai de l' @usap_officiel et donne l'avantage à son équipe 14-10 face à Lyon🔥 #USAPLOU pic.twitter.com/Jztsr3F5n0

— CANAL+ Rugby (@CanalplusRugby) April 20, 2024

This is important. It’s also their match, I admire that, it’s a lot of financial and human investment, a great mobilization. And there too we see the sharing that there is. People arrive long in advance at the stadium, all with a jersey, the flags, that's what's beautiful and that's part of this end of the season, we have to take advantage of it.

Also read: MHR-Usap: towards a sold-out derby at the GGL Stadium, the passion of the fans is there

Rather used to being in the role of barrage in recent seasons, the one occupied by Montpellier today, is Usap the favorite, Saturday ?

I don't know if we are favorites. If you look at the pure ranking, yes you can tell yourself that. From an accounting point of view, it's two matches… there are 25 points left to distribute. It’s good, we’ve taken 18 points in the last four matches so it’s achievable.

For each of the teams there, it remains achievable. It's normal that you give us this status of favorites in relation to the ranking, I have no problem with that. For us, what will matter is how we approach the match, remaining ourselves. We all know that Montpellier is out of place, but we have to continue to put pressure on this team.

"If things are meant to come, they will come naturally"

Montpellier is not in its place, but is Usap in its place?

We try to do the best possible to win each of our matches, then I would like it to be better, it could be worse, but in any case, what we have, we give it to ourselves. is deserved: what we have worked on, improved, the consistency we have had… hellip; But there are still five left.

Also read: "The MHR is not in everyone's heart but I have a special history with it" : the secrets of Patrick Arlettaz before the derby

Does a dynamic like yours allow you to dream higher??

When you're a player, and when you're a staff member, even less so, dreaming about the Top 14 is dangerous. Let us have ambition yes, let it be based today on what has allowed us to move forward: focusing on our week, the match at hand. come and how to negotiate it well.

Today, why should we change something? Let people benefit, let them be excited, let there be this excitement, we, we are enthusiastic too. If things are meant to come, they will come naturally.

Also read: MHR – Usap: Lenni Nouchi still in care, Jan Serfontein back with Montpellier

Is it important to keep everyone involved, even those who play less ?

Often we talk about the purpose, but I like to point out that the journey is important. It’s up to the players. It's between them, what adventure they want to live? Sooner or later, there are always boys (who play less) who will be called upon in the group.

The quality of the boys to continue to be involved again this morning, whether they play or not play, whether they are sent at 200%. The good seasons are when there is unity at the group level, when you want to transcend yourself on the field. That’s why the season looks like that and why people want to identify with that.