IT’S RUGBY. – Against Provence back in February, you went off injured with a heavy blow to the ribs. Have you recovered?
Jean-Baptiste Barrère: Yes, more fright than harm. It was a simple dislocation so I was out for 10 days. I managed to play against Oyonnax even if the sensations weren’t great, in the end. But now the break is letting me recharge properly.
On that note, this break comes at a good time. What do you take from this block?
It’s a fairly successful block, all things considered. We had targeted the two home games against Aurillac and Provence. Job done. We stuck to our plan. Then we had two free hits away from home. We’re not far away at Brive, I think, because the scoreline doesn’t reflect the game (48-24, with three tries conceded in the last 8 minutes, editor’s note). Then we were completely off the pace at Oyonnax in the last match of the block. But we’re on track with what we wanted to do. That’s great.
The final sprint has begun and is going to intensify… What frame of mind are you in?
First of all, you have to enjoy the holidays. You have to make the most of it, clear your head. And then we’ll have that hugely important match for our club against Grenoble. Our fate is in our own hands. We have four home games, so we’ll have to be very precise and bank as many points as possible.
Coming back to this season, one gets the feeling you have been living a never-ending nightmare…
Yes, exactly. We’ve had pretty much everything. We often talk about it among the lads. Thankfully, all of that has made us stronger. We’re even more tight-knit. That’s what makes us strong, because I think plenty of squads would have given up. That’s not the case for us.
Concretely, how did you manage to stay so united and so committed in the face of all these twists and turns?
You know, this is a group that is in a good place. It’s hugely tight-knit and passionate about what it does. We love taking on challenges. Every time there has been one, we’ve managed to overcome it. We have nothing but grafters. We keep a lot of humility.
If we had given up, it was over for the club
Mentally, it is impossible to imagine what the squad has been through. At some point, wasn’t there an urge to give up?
Honestly, it has been very hard but we never threw in the towel. If we had given up, it was over for the club. We don’t want that. A lot of players were part of the promotion to Pro D2 three years ago. Everyone pulled each other up, we helped each other.
Did you sense what was coming before everything tipped over and the sanctions came down?
No. We even thought we were going to get points back. We almost took it as a joke, we play on it a little (laughs). Above all we tell ourselves that if we manage to keep this club up with 14 points deducted, we’ll have written another fine page of USD’s history. Without any false modesty, I think we have already made club history.
The situation could have been far worse when you learned, wrongly, that another nine points were going to be taken off you, and just hours before a crucial home match against Aurillac…
That one really hurt, because it left us bottom with a fair few points to make up on the 15th-placed side. Messages were flying about in the players’ group chat and it was hard to prepare for that match. Thankfully, the authorities quickly denied the information. We went through a very difficult hour. It’s never easy to properly prepare for a match that is so important for the rest of our season, so when we read that… And once again, we regrouped to produce a fine performance against Aurillac.
One gets the feeling nothing more can happen to you…
I think so, yes. As long as there’s a ball, as long as we’re on the pitch and we’re wearing this shirt, we won’t give an inch.
The season is so unusual that you travelled to Oyonnax on your Mont-de-Marsan neighbours’ bus…
(Laughs) Yes, that’s part of the twists and turns of our season. We have players who have lost loved ones, one of ours is stuck in Dubai (given the tense situation in the Middle East, editor’s note). There was also the OQTF, the French order to leave the country, served on Ratu (Nacika, editor’s note). We’re living through a complicated season but I’ll say it again: we’re very united.
You have been in the game for a while. You have seen the subject of mental health evolve over the years. As far as your situation at Dax is concerned, has the squad had psychological support and follow-up?
No, nothing specific was put in place. We talked to each other, closed ranks, we communicated a lot and above all we look after one another.
You have also been able to count on the supporters’ backing…
Yes, they have been very present. We hope they’ll be there again at the end of the season because we’re going to need them. I remember a fine away following of Dax fans at Biarritz but also at Bayonne against Provence. It does you good and it helps us.
Have the former players been there too?
Yes, straight away. Things really moved around us. It shook the club, but everyone has been hugely supportive. The directors reassured us. I want to say this: we have always been paid. There has never been a delay.
Many young players have come into the professional squad. How did you shield them from all this ?For the young players, there are contracts at stake, so it’s difficult. You don’t want them dwelling on it. We reassure them, we tell them to stay focused on what we can control, namely the pitch. The young lads have responded very well.
I'm giving myself time to think about what is going to happen in the coming days and the coming months. We'll see what the future holds
You are almost enjoying a second youth at USD. Do you intend to carry on next season?
For now, I’m not really sure. The season is exhausting mentally all the same. I’m giving myself time to think about what is going to happen in the coming days and the coming months. For now, the body is fine, and that’s the main thing.
You give your voice and your body to the cause, as they say… What state are you in when you get home after matches?
(Laughs) No, but it’s the passion that lifts me. I love it. I tell myself I’m coming towards the end and I want to make the most of it.
Whatever happens, USD will have a special place in your heart…
Yes, of course. So far I have had three exceptional seasons, including the first with a historic play-off at Grenoble. I wasn’t able to play in it but we had incredible moments, a crazy season. And the last two are just as fine, even in adversity. What I take from USD is the approach to matches and the mentality of this group, which really is something apart.
You also coach USD’s Espoirs. Should we see that as the start of a second career?
I’m still not really sure. What is certain is that I enjoy it enormously. Maybe it has changed the way I see the game on the pitch, as a player. I’d like to keep investing myself with the young players at US Dax. We’ll see in the future what happens and what is or isn’t put on the table.
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