Rugby/Federal 2: A new era begins this Sunday for Millau

Les Millavois sont prêts pour débuter cette nouvelle saison. Midi Libre – St. S.

SOM Rugby starts its season this Sunday against Palavas (3:15 p.m.). A transitional season, but not without ambition.

SO Millau starts its championship at home this Sunday afternoon against the formidable team of the rugby club Méditerranée, in other words Palavas, the bête noire of the Millavois for two seasons. This already promises a great fight from the first meeting. Rugby fans should enjoy themselves today at the Parc des Sports as the locals open a new chapter or rather a real new era.

Indeed, there are many new features this season. First of all, the staff has been reshuffled. Under the orders of the outgoing head coach Baptiste Majorel, this summer there were the arrivals of the local Matthieu Issaly for the forwards and the South African ex-player of Rodez or coach of LSA, Ruan Lamprecht, in charge of the back lines. At the top of the club, the bosses have also changed. The presidency has seen the arrival of the Tabutin-Donnadieu duo now at the helm.

Transition season and qualification objective

The renewal within the squad is also very significant, with a number of departures and in particular executives for a plethora of new players (see box). Finally, the opponents will also be for many new. With a course towards the south-east and many newcomers such as Monaco, Aubagne or even Les Angles in particular. The group promises to be homogeneous and difficult with many clubs who have not hidden their ambition to access the upper tier. For Millau, who will move forward with humility in view of all these changes, but not without ambition however, the objective is to consider qualification. But above all to produce play and have fun, the credo of the new staff. Undoubtedly a transitional season but there is no doubt at the heart of the club that the mayonnaise of the new project will quickly take hold to create a good dynamic and bring Som rugby to the high places of the group.

The summer preparation went well with serious training and two friendly matches all won against the Vendres-Lespignan and Trebes entente. However, there are already a few injuries to deplore. This does not prevent the staff from presenting a competitive team against the ambitious Héraultais of Palavas who want, from the start, to show their colours to the other protagonists of the group.

The new president Laurent Tabutin confided this Saturday, the day before the match: “We are eager to start the championship with all the same apprehension linked to the uncertainty of the various changes at the level of the staff and the squad not yet at full strength for various reasons. But confidence with the work done since the restart and the involvement of all. The motivation is all found for this match because since their return to Fédérale 2, we have never beaten this team." Something new to start a new era. Who says better ?

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