The declarations ahead of Brive vs Toulon
Here are the main declarations of the Toulon and Brive staff and players ahead of the game between the two teams, to be played on Saturday, March 4th, at the Amédée-Domenech stadium, on Day 19 of the Top 14.
Mike Ford, RCT manager: “I watched the game against Brive we had lost at the Stade Mayol. I know what to expect, as Brive are a good team, and the players have warned me of the reception we’ll be given there. To add to this, rain is expected, but we’re prepared for this. It’s going to be a tough opposition against Brive.”
Duane Vermeulen, RCT captain and flanker: “We know it’s going to be difficult against Brive. We’re focused on the game and we’d like to go up a notch after our victory against Lyon. No need for calculations: our destiny is still in our own hands and we have to deliver. We’ve had time to prepare in February and work on our physical condition and our tactics. This has bound us together even more. We’ll have no excuse, we want to go to Brive and bring something back from there.”
Bastien Soury, RCT hooker: “I was part of the team who played the away game against Brive last season: we know what is expecting us. The Brive players know how to grab the ball, they have a strong scrum and a strong line-out. We’ll have to play as a team and keep in mind that they beat us at the Stade Mayol this season. We didn’t like it and we’ll try to take our revenge. We’d like to bring back a good result, just to make things even. It’s going to be a difficult game, but I take it calmly. We’ve carried out good work and studied the game played by the Brive team. We’ll have to deliver.”
Arnaud Mela, Brive lock: “Given their current situation, their injured players, their missing internationals and our victory at Mayol, the Toulon players are coming to Brive with a vengeance. We’re perfectly aware of this. Anyway, something always happens against Toulon and we’ll have to be careful, especially bearing in mind that March is going to be a crazy month with all those games scheduled. That is why we’ve worked hard for this.”
Sources. Ford, Soury and Vermeulen interviews: pre-game press conference. Mela interview: lamontagne.fr