l’essentiel
Sixth and final qualifier, Avenir Valencien remains at the mercy of the pursuers, notably Drancy who is only three points behind in the standings.
Avenir Valencien has a lot at stake, a lot to lose this Sunday afternoon when hosting the French club. For Valenciens, the goal set at the beginning of the season is clear: finish in the top 6 of the group and qualify for the finals, just like last season. This requires maximum victories starting with the match that interests us at 3:15 pm. In the three remaining matches in the qualification phase, they will need to accumulate as many points as possible. At the first leg, the Tarn-et-Garonnais suffered a defeat they still remember, calling for a sweet revenge. Once again, and it cannot be emphasized enough, this will depend heavily on the Valencian supporters who will need to push behind Salem Khanfous’ teammates, raise their voices to secure four or even five points. On Friday night, after the last training session, manager Nicolas Crubilé clearly expressed his thoughts on the situation.
Valence d’Agen-Drancy, at 3:15 pm
At Valence-d’Agen (Evelyne Jean-Baylet stadium). Referees: Mr. Jérémy Veyssiere, assisted by Mr. Simon Adgie, and Julien Martin. AVENIR VALENCIEN. Provost; Alavoine, Fabre, Henric, Remue; (o) Dellac, (m) Pouzoulic; Lolesio, El Bechir, Boué; Feuillerat, Zaitri; Bellebbad, Khanfous (captain), Bousignac. On the substitutes bench: Besnier, Agueni, Mohsen, Rivier, Lescout, Lecareux, Bertram, Meknes. National Hopes. As an opening act, at 1:30 pm. Referee: Mr. Marc Sicard. Valenciens will field: Marchand; Esteve, Moulies, Raynaud, Burgarella; (o) Espagne, (m) Brossard (captain); Antoine, Marem, Laforgue; Vermond, Vezes; Laurent, Alleaume, Balzan. On the substitutes bench: Renaudin, Labarthe, Leblond, Ferré, Russo, Boudet, Douziech, Bezuidenhout.
The pressure is on you. How do you approach these last three meetings in the qualification phase?
Pressure is a privilege; playing high-stakes matches is an opportunity. We train all season to control our destiny when spring arrives.
What did you learn from the heavy defeat in the first leg, with an away game scheduled?
Drancy is one of the most solid teams in the group, with Matthew Ford at fly-half who manages the game well and they rely on a strong defensive line to prevent their opponents from using the full width of the field. Our direct conquest, adaptation to their defensive rush, and discipline will be the keys to the match.
What does it take to secure that much-awaited qualification that everyone hopes for around the club?
I hear these questions, and I will answer clearly; we need to earn between 8 and 10 points in the last three matchdays to solely depend on ourselves. However, and as I told the players on Monday, calculation has never been successful for us. For the past four years, the most important match has always been the upcoming one. The few times we deviated from this, we paid the price. So, for the past 15 days, we have been preparing to play this match against Drancy as if our lives depended on it.
A match for which you are missing two influential players, Tiaan Swanepoel and Thomas Piquemal. Have these absences forced you to rethink your game plan?
We could also mention Ossian Gros, Valentin Raphaël, Guillaume Dulay, Benjamin Borderies, Jason Deschamps…but Tiaan and Thomas are great examples to illustrate our project. When they arrived at 21, no one knew them. They didn’t immediately integrate into the team, they were criticized at times because they play in positions of responsibility, but they always embraced it to become key players in our model. Today they are unavailable, and it’s up to other guys to assume their responsibilities by animating our system, which remains stable in its principles but adaptable strategically. I’ve been saying for two years now, the greatest strength of this group is its character. Our most consistent performances have always come in adversity, and I know that this Sunday, there will be 23 Valenciens ready to put blood on the jersey to keep winning, regardless of their names. I trust them, they know it.
Despite these absences, are there any notable returns?
Yes, with Djalil Agueni, Yves Lescout, Enzo Rivier, and Flo Remue.
