Upper 14/Pau Division. Don Robson, the impatient Englishman

A few nights before this Black Monday…

The black Monday was preceded by some sleepless nights for the England international (16 caps), who saw the end of a seven-and-a-half-year partnership on October 17: “It hit me hard. This is where I realized the magnitude of the situation. I felt sad and very angry. The strangest thing is that it came out of nowhere. We finally understand that we have reached the point where we will stop paying debts. The club was built on a non-sustainable economic model. We players thought he was going to cut it. The same way we were treated, what drives this hatred. »

After shock came anger, then acceptance. “Finding yourself in the position of a victim should not prevent you from looking at things positively. I had opportunities in England, but with everything that happened there, it was important for me to move away and start something new. »

English hinge

Less enthralled by Pau’s charisma than his parent club’s manager’s speech, scrum-half Sebastien Piqueronis got into the mesmerizing action after a good poker move. “We had a discussion together on the morning of the match in La Rochelle,” says the Englishman. I was a little surprised by the nature of this conversation. We talked about the club, about me, but also about how the division wanted to beat La Rochelle… at home, against such a strong team, and I found it impressive that I did so. This obviously gave his speech more value. “And a chance to hand over the keys to an Anglo-English game of powwow. “Having Jack (Henry, the powwow opener) in the side will be really easy, said referee coach Antoine Nicot. Jack in particular communicates a lot, at least in terms of coordination. »

Another motivating factor: the chance to find the top 14. “Although it wasn’t part of my immediate aspirations, it was always in the back of my mind. Everything lined up, and I turned what happened to me at Wasps into an opportunity. “Especially since leaving the domestic championship. shall no longer preclude him from applying to return to examination (1). “The World Cup is obviously on my mind, but now it’s nice to live in a new environment, and after what I’ve experienced in the last two months, I have to focus completely on Pau. If I confirm myself in this amazing championship, we’ll see what happens. »

Already appreciated

Because the desire to find out what he says takes precedence over everything. “I have a feeling that a life happened between the Hornets and Pau. I had enough time to reset and change. The first 25 minutes of Thibaut Taubagna’s relay in a Pau jersey (a 22-6 bonus win over Prive) was proof of that.

Management, vista, aggression: Don Robson’s intelligence and technique (especially at the base), Clovis Le Bale’s position to struggle to confirm, and Alexis Levron’s emergence, point to more attractive alternatives. “He pulled everyone up and we’re very happy with that,” welcomes Antoine Nicot. “”What was expected of him,” Picuronis said calmly. “We saw the intelligence of his administration. He is an English international. Don will give us peace. Thibaut Taubagna has finished weaving a laurel wreath, legitimized by a CV worthy of a promising start.

(1) England Rugby exempts players who are forced to relocate due to exceptional circumstances.