Hugo Bonneval : "When the fixtures were issued, I checked the date of this game"

The Toulon fullback was trained at Stade Français Paris, a club with which he experienced everything. After joining RCT this summer, he’s going back to the Stade Jean-Bouin this Sunday and talked about it at the pre-game press conference.
Hugo, this game really means something to you…
It does. I admit that, when the Top 14 fixtures were issued, I immediately checked the date of the game. That’s normal, it’s part of a rugbyman’s career. I left the club, but I saw they had extended Jonathan Danty’s and Jules Plisson’s contracts, for instance. It’s good for Stade Français and this proves the club is far from being in crisis. I have friends there with whom I played for more than ten years. We call each other regularly, but we haven’t spoken longer this week. Above everything, we’re friends.
What can you tell us about the game itself?
It’s going to be a very tough game. They need points and Montpellier scored forty against us. Both teams are looking for certainties, as the league is very tight and the level is top-notch: when you lose points, you have to get them back immediately. We wanted to bring a good result from Montpellier, but we only held out for an hour. We’ve worked on many specific things this week and we’ll see whether it pays off on Sunday.
Raphaël Lakafia, who spent many years with you at Stade Français, hasn’t fully recovered from his back injury yet. You must be disappointed not to be able to play the game in his company…
First, it’s a pity for him, because he’s been having a tough time since the pre-season game against Clermont. He spends more time in training to be back as soon as possible. He’s giving 150% to try to recover and wear the Toulon shirt in an official game. It’s quite a pity for him and I hope he’ll soon be 100% fit to play again.
Photo credits: Thomas Martino, RCT.