“You always hate the best, that's very French”: Benoît Paillaugue before Stade Toulousain – MHR

Benoît Paillaugue appeared before the press this Thursday, January 23. As usual, the former scrum-half is unfiltered and speaks his mind, six months after taking the reins of the MHR attack. Montpellier travels to Toulouse this Saturday, January 25 (2 p.m.).

You're on a run of seven consecutive wins, you're travelling to Toulouse, the squad is on holiday on Saturday night… How do you handle this period? ?

We experience this kind of situation every year. The only thing is that you have to convince the players that the holidays are in 48 hours. Not before. The guys are training well, making a lot of effort, the holidays will come at the right time. But they're on Sunday. If you're on holiday on Saturday, we'll take a break like Leicester last weekend (80-12). That's the warning message.

If you're not on alert against them, you pick up. It's simple. And you pick up with their team 1, 2, 3… It's Toulouse, you know.

Have you relaxed things given the good dynamics?

It's certain that the weeks are more fun after victories. We're demanding of them, they're increasingly demanding of each other. If you're not demanding when you go to Toulouse, it can be very complicated. The players know where we're going to set foot, we're going to fight with our weapons, we want to give a good image. We're not favorites, like all the teams. If we lose, it will be logical. But there is losing and losing.

Even without its international players, there is no good time to take Toulouse…

That's bullshit. Only the French are protected but the rest… There's a magnificent team. Everyone would like to have those teams. We know it's going to be tough.

When you saw 80-12 on Sunday, what did you think?

That we were going there the following week (laughs). They were recently stung, we talk to them about Bordeaux… We know them by heart. But they will always surprise us. They're the best team in the world. You want to rub shoulders with those guys. You know that if you turn your head, it can go very fast.

When you were playing, did you like to play on the lever: “They are the best, let's show what we are worth” ?

Of course. You always hate the best, that's very French. You want to be in their shoes. The club, the way it works, the titles, the players… When I was a player, you wanted to measure yourself against the best players in the world. I hope our players will be there. If you want to watch them, you stay in the stands and applaud with both hands. Our players will have to show a good face of our club, of our team.

“Don't talk about us, let us work quietly”

Since the start of the season, you have always performed well away from home. Is this team capable of it in Toulouse ?

We want to be the tough team in the championship. I don't know what will happen on Saturday. But when there is a lot of talk about a team that can challenge Toulouse, the Toulousains always respond. Always. Let's not talk about us, let us work quietly. We just want to continue to work well and annoy all the teams.

During the last MHR victory in Toulouse, in February 2021, you were there. What made the difference ?

To beat the Toulousains, we have to be the best and they have a bad day. On equal terms, few teams can beat them. Maybe Bordeaux-Bègles. We are not Bordeaux. Not yet. One day, maybe. It is up to us to be the best we can be and to make them doubt.

After six months of cohabitation, how is the staff doing? ? Did you think you would be at this level at this time of year? ?

No. Afterwards, we never hid our ambitions. In Challenge, we wanted to qualify. We have a history with this competition, it has always revived us in complicated moments. And in Top 14, after the complicated start of the season, no, we didn't think we would be there.

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The players should be congratulated, above all. They show character, commitment, and solidarity. It must be emphasized that they are coming out of two complicated years. With a start to the season like ours, we could have thought that some would falter. But the addition of new leaders, new players has been good. Old players, who had been a bit moribund for two years, have gotten back on track.

It would be stupid if we were to take a big blow before the holidays.

After six months, everything is well-oiled between you ?

No, we are still in the learning phase. Every day, I learn something new. Speeches, ways of training, videos… But it’s fun. The players respond favorably. And that’s pretty cool. Not everything is smooth sailing, not by a long shot. Otherwise, it would be too easy. If it were, we’d be bored maybe (smile).

We get to know each other at work, after playing together. The guys’ personalities off the field are often not the same. We discover each other a little bit every day.

“What I want is to win”

The staff insisted on the need to be solid in defense and conquest. Where do you place your sector, the attack ? Joan Caudullo often said, smiling, that you were the most frustrated member of the staff…

I knew it, eh. Last summer, everything was planned when announcing the project. I knew very well that, in the first year, the attack would not be the number one objective. Then it is an area that takes time. The coordination between the guys, the races, the stuff… For some time, Montpellier has not been known for its attacking game. We know where we want to go, I know what I want to do, but we have to go crescendo.

Then insisting on the defense didn't offend you.

Not at all. In a team that has been sick for two years, the defense is the area where you are most used. So, frustrated, yes. I didn't show it in front of the guys, at home, a little more. I had a lot of discussions with Jo (Caudullo), with Doum. When we won 16-0 against La Rochelle, when we scored a try from Rapiat, I was the happiest in the world. What I want is to win.

But ?

Of course, if we win with four tries, if we delight everyone, like we did at one time, I will be the happiest person in the world. We will work for it, the players will work for it, we will change our discourse and it takes a little time. We see better things. Then there will be recruitment next season. Building a team takes time. The way of playing, too. Even Toulouse, eh. When Ugo Mola arrived, it was complicated for two or three years.

I am not worried. Frustrated, from time to time. On easy things, we have to be surgical. When you see Toulouse and Bordeaux, they don't do doubles or anything. They do everything with a lot of speed, precision. This is what I would like to focus on.

Are the discussions lively around team compositions??

All the time! We make team choices based on the strategy we want to implement. That's the same in all clubs. Maybe at some point, we'll put more attacking players in because we'll be more confident. I've known players who score tries, but who can cost you. You have to find the right balance. I remember, Timoci Nagusa could score four but cost you two. But the ratio was good. Maybe one day, we'll focus more on that. But there's time.

It's not because we've scored more tries in recent matches that we have to open up everything. That would be wrong and, above all, we wouldn't be able to do it. We have to be clear-headed, we know our strengths, continue to work on them and gradually eliminate our weaknesses. It will come. But it will also come in the head. Rugby is a lot of mental, like all high-level sports. When you win, you dare a little more etc.

“They have a good life”

The video reviews were lively at the start of the season. Are they still as lively as ever? ?

You always have to show what you can do better. In top-level sport, if you let go of a little thing, you're dead. To catch up, it can take weeks, months. In this Top 14, it's impossible. You see the best teams. Even when they rotate, they want to win.

The player-coach relationship, how do you experience it? ? You were with them not so long ago…

It's not always easy. Plus, I was close to the guys. I loved it. Rugby, for me, is human contact, saying when things are going well, when things are not. I've experienced extraordinary things with these guys. Sometimes, you want to… But reason takes over. I was adamant about everything when I was a player. Now, you have to compromise a little. It's not so bad. A page has turned, it ended well.

Now, the guys are making digs at me because we have some injury problems in the scrum and offering to help me out. Not at all. Terminado. You have to find the right balance. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive. But it went easily, smoothly. Of course, with the guys, we don't cross paths like before, we're not in the locker room together anymore. But I have more work. They have a good life (laughs).