After the meeting, La Rochelle captain Gregory Alldritt spoke at length about the poor performance of his team in Paris.
How do you analyze this big defeat in the quarter-final?
It was complicated. We came up against a team that had boundless energy and attacked us very hard from the start of the match. We had difficulty getting started, with balls lost in touch, rough kicking… In fact, we chased the score. It wasn’t a lack of desire or a bad attitude from the guys. We didn’t have enough energy to go after this team, that’s all.
Can you expand?
At half-time, we were already at 130 tackles. We worked our butts off. You don’t go back nineteen points like that, especially against such a defense. We lacked precision and energy, in short. We left too many forces in recent months, when other teams were able to rotate and manage their squad.
Did you believe it at halftime, when you were down 19-0?
At halftime, I believed it. We are a team that usually responds in difficulty. But we weren’t realistic in the scoring zone. We killed ourselves on their defense, in fact… Beyond that, our touch and our scrum were not efficient. From there, it’s complicated to win a match.
What did you say to your men at the end of the match?
It’s easier to lose by forty points than by one point. I told them I was proud of the group. This season, no one gave up and yet, we had plenty… Finally, you understood, what… Despite everything, there is hope for the future Because the group is talented and our supporters are brilliant. They showed it again this evening, in Paris.
And if coach Fabien Galthié calls you tomorrow for the summer tour, will you respond favorably?
I haven’t thought about all that yet but if he calls me, I will answer favorably. Obviously.
