Training all week seems to be of a reasonable quality but come the weekend everything goes out of the window and Montpellier goes back into a routine which is unrecognisable.

There is no rugby team that doesn’t make mistakes but there are teams that have long ago left the elementary ones on the training pitch, Montpellier seem to be bringing them into the match games. 

This was a game that Montpellier should have wrapped up before the start of the second half, but bad choices and some individual naivety left the door open for Bordeaux to profit, and profit they did. Everyone talks about 15 man rugby, “The team sport” when are we going to start playing it!! Too many single handed efforts that bring nothing but spilt ball, forward passes and missed tackles. We seem to be lacking a leader someone who can move the troops in a forward direction, lift morale if it looks like flagging, keep positive thoughts throughout the 80mins, this player has to step forward and take charge of the role as at the moment it is non existent.

Montpellier is sat firmly on the bottom of the TOP 14 with a measly 4pts. after 5 games, the longer this drought goes on the harder it will be to get into a reasonable position which will put even more pressure on the team to perform. The visit of Toulon next Friday is not going to make things any easier, best if the scooter stays in Fabien Galthie’s garage!! 

The game itself was of a standard no better than Fed 1 with both teams sharing the lead at the break for lemons 10-10, with a converted try and a penalty each.

The second half was no better for Montpellier until Bustos-Moyano and Perraux came on, they did try and enlighten the proceedings, but could not get on terms with Bordeaux who finished strongly, making sure that Montpellier could not get their hands on the ball, they however firmly pocketed the 4 points available leaving our Blue and Whites with a miserable bonus defensive point, not what was needed. Final score Montpellier 16 Bordeaux6 Begles 20

Both coaches in their post match interviews seemed to be unable to put their finger on the problem, and could not give any excuses for the present first team form, lets hope they find a solution before next Friday, displays like that are only acceptable once per season we are already on our second !!!

 

Steve Whittell.

 

 

Pitch side interview with Martin Bustos-Moyano.

 

SW. Welcome back to Montpellier Martin, that was a disaster tonight!!

 

MBM. Thank you, yes not the best way to come back into the team, we seem to be having difficulties bringing our A game to the front and are definitely struggling at the moment. The second game at home that we have lost and this has to stop, we have to be more aggressive and play better together as a team.

 

SW. We are not playing as a team; everyone is doing their own thing?

 

MBM. We have to go back to basics and do the simple things correctly and play 15 man rugby, we are not doing this and the results are for all to see, we have an enormous game next Friday against Toulon so we will have to work hard this week and get the job done. It will not be easy but it has to be done.

 

SW. Tomorrow Argentina v Scotland, do you thing you can beat the Scots.

 

MBM. We will win the game but the boys will have to play well as it could be very tight, let’s hope all our Montpellerians do a good job and bring victory to the team.

 

SW. Cheers Martin, next week training could be hard work!!!!

 

Interview with Fabien Rofes, ex Montpellier hooker.

 

SW. Fabien you did not expect this, coming back to Montpellier and getting the victory.

 

FR. We needed this victory and it is always sweeter when it’s your old club, the boys knew we needed a win away from home, last week we lost at home against Toulon, this makes up for the lost points last week, although I did not play as I got a 10 day ban it was still great and I just had to come along for the ride and support the boys.

 

SW..  Although you were sidelined you made the journey to support your new club.

 

 

FR.   Yes of course there is a great atmosphere at Bordeaux and even though I could not play it was great to be back in Montpellier, I did not want to miss this event and brilliant to see all my old team mates, they are obviously not as happy as I am tonight but that’s sport. This year will be another very tough season in the TOP 14 and we need all the points we can get, especially as some of the teams like Montpellier are missing players at the World Cup and they have large injury problems, so for us it was good to get this game in now and not later in the season, the 4 points are well appreciated and this will kick start our season again.

 

SW. Thanks Fabien, good luck for the rest of the season with Bordeaux-Begles.

 

Interviews by Steve Whittell.