The reactions after Grenoble vs. Toulon
Here are the main reactions after last Sunday’s 23-23 draw with Grenoble.
Mike Ford, RCT manager: “I felt we were nervous towards the middle of the second half. We defended too much. Perhaps we were anxious, as we put much pressure on ourselves, and we saw the result in the end. Conceding a try in the dying moments because of a defensive mistake was quite disappointing – all the more so as Grenoble were down to 14 players. We had enough opportunities in the first half to earn a comfortable win, but the try we conceded just before half-time really hurt us. We didn’t succeed in bringing back four points, but we can only blame ourselves. We are putting too much pressure on ourselves and this really tells when we play away games. We really have to solve this problem. We didn’t win the game and, even worse, we feel as if we had lost it.”
Jocelino Suta, RCT second row: “It’s unbelievable! One minute to the end, we were still set to win. I don’t know how they managed to run through us. It’s a real pity to face a dangerous last-gasp move, as we should have killed the game off long before. But we also have to remember we had lost here last year. We still bring back two points from an away game.”
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, RCT flanker: “For sure, we have mixed feelings, but what irritates me most is that we played the second half not to lose instead of trying to snatch victory. We led by 17 points at half-time and we end up being tied 23-23. That’s a real pity.”
Fabrice Estebanez, Grenoble centre: “In the first half, Toulon were moving forward every time there was contact and they completely overwhelmed us, as we were trailing by 17 points. Considering this, ending up with a draw almost feels like a victory for us.”
Sources: mixed zone, post-game press conference, Var-Matin.