ASBH, 4th, travels to Brive, 2nd, this Friday, December 6 (7:30 p.m.) at Amédée-Domenech, as part of the 13th day of Pro D2.
A lot has happened in six months, since the fever of this evening in May 2024, when Brive broke its teeth in Béziers in the play-offs in a crazy scenario (33-31) at Raoul-Barrière.
In Corrèze, Pierre-Henry Broncan and his partner David Darricarrière have given new meaning to the word “tough”, the CAB's leitmotif since forever. Which has made it a contender for the title and promotion to the Top 14, well guided by its English star, Coutney Lawes, 105 selections with the XV de la Rose, and its scrum-half Léo Carbonneau (20 years old), son of the illustrious Philippe. Finally, stability has settled into the club, European champion in 1997, at the time of Lamaison, Travers, Penaud and Carbonneau senior.
ASBH, for its part ? It has never been so true to itself. Despite the twists and turns of recent weeks, between an October to forget (4 defeats in a row), extra-sporting matters to manage and the takeover of the Merthens-Skinstad tandem, the Hérault team has bounced back, remaining on a run of four consecutive successes.
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“The counters have been reset”
The people of Béziers feed on this chaos around them, and like to set the record straight in the most difficult moments. “This team has grown in the midst of all these difficulties”, the manager, Pierre Caillet, regularly reminds us.
This Friday evening, she knows she is particularly expected at the runner-up of Pro D2. The play-off and its context from the previous season are still sticking in the throats of the locals. The kind of atmosphere that generally pleases the Biterrois. But no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. “I don't like living in the past. The counters have been reset to zero. Maybe Brive has this match in the back of its mind but frankly, we don't”, promises Caillet.
Despite the status of the Brivistes this season, Charly Malié's teammates are not arriving as tourists at Amédée-Domenech. “All my guys want to play this match against Brive (laughs). The atmosphere is going to be incredible. I feel a strong excitement to face a great team, with great players and great ambitions. We are not coming as victims but to play a great rugby match. Afterwards, we know very well that we can also take 40 if we miss”, Caillet admits again, in La Montagne. And that a blow to the head will have to be digested quickly. Because next week, it's Montauban, the surprise of the year, who arrives at Raoul-Barrière.
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