Eric Escande: "We are self-confident"
The Toulon scrum-half, who used to play for Montpellier, attended the pre-game press conference ahead of Toulon vs Montpellier, last Wednesday. He talked about the forthcoming crunch game at the Stade Orange-Vélodrome, in Marseille.
Eric, there is pressure as we approach the end of the regular season, as the forthcoming games will decide on qualification into the knock-out stages. What are your thoughts in this period?
It’s true that being under pressure like this is not easy to cope with. But, during the last few games, we played well and, every time, we could have won, but we eventually lost. It’s easier to work when you’re in a winning spell, as you’re working in better conditions, with less pressure, but I’m keeping in mind that we’re constantly improving. It remains to be seen whether luck will come our way and help us win the games. We are self-confident, but we still have to work on a few details.
The game is going to be played in Marseille. Is it going to change something for the team?
It’s true that the special atmosphere of the Stade Mayol is not to be found in Marseille. But we’ll be in a particular context and this will make us aware that we’re going to play a capital game.
What do you think of the Montpellier team?
They’re impressive. The Montpellier players are very solid and their playing is direct and efficient. They’re pragamatic. We’re expecting a tough game: we have prepared for this and we hope we’ll respond to the challenge against a strong Montpellier team.
Photo credits: Magali Ruffato.