Rugby Union – Top 14: these faults that cost the USAP too much

Avoidable mistakes with serious consequences. This season, the USAP has often encountered this kind of situation. Especially during the first match in Pau (16-14 defeat), where the Catalans were ahead until the 74^e minutes (6-14). But a yellow card against Lucas Bachelier, two minutes earlier, allowed the Béarnais to score a try and come back to 1 point. Before a silly foul by George Tilsley against the posts, which offered the winning penalty to Zack Henry, then the uncontrolled tackle by Ma’afu Fia (79^e) which removed all hope of returning with the four points of victory in Perpignan. From the start, David Marty’s players had shot themselves in the foot. And it has often been like that since the start of the season. The USAP is its worst enemy. Paradoxically, she does not concede a lot of penalties, but she commits so-called “cynical” faults which are worth a yellow card and which allow the teams to score. “We let the teams get back into the game too easily. We are the ones in the lead, but at key moments in the game we panic a bit”confirms the second line Piula Faasalele. “We have to avoid this nervousness that takes us out of matchessupports general manager Patrick Arlettaz. We lack confidence, so we get nervous.”

“The best way to get out of this is to win”

The pressure of the result and the intransigent Catalan public, the panic when it is in front of the score, this USAP team is “too permeable” as Patrick Arlettaz attests. “The mistake that will make you fall into the box is often associated with nervousness. It’s something you have to work on to be calm. From time to time, you make mistakes, but they are controlled “It’s not cynical fouls. But it’s a vicious circle… The best way out of this is to win.”points out the Catalan technician.

Regaining confidence, believing in their strengths, these are the missions that USAP players must accomplish to stop their small faults which, in the end, spoil their good job in building their match. In Bayonne, after four penalties conceded in the first quarter of an hour, USAP committed no fault for 29 minutes. And guess what? She scored 17 points (out of 20). Then she started to suffer, get angry, and take two yellow cards against Mathieu Acebes (44^e) and Lucas Bachelier (52^e). This allowed the Bayonnais to gain the upper hand psychologically and win at the very end of the match (24-20). If the USAP is penalized on average 12 times per match, this is not an exorbitant figure either. But the faults are too visible. Against Lyon, fortunately deprived of its striker Léo Berdeu (69 points, 82.9% success rate), the Catalans will have to limit the number of silly mistakes. At the risk of leaving the match and experiencing a new disappointment.