Jauzion speaks out about the big match

thecoolfreak · Post by **thecoolfreak** » March 28th, 2006, 3:31 pm

Yannick Jauzion is fit once again, and poised to give Toulouse a massive boost as their defence of the Heineken Cup goes into the quarter-final stage against Leinster in front of a full house at Le Stadium in Toulouse on Saturday.

Yannick Jauzion: Ready for Irish challenge

Jauzion has played three Top 14 matches in the past couple of weeks, returning from the toe injury that kept him out of the entire Six Nations.

Those matches have been tight - 13-5 and 19-7 wins at home to Montpellier and Agen respectively, and a 15-13 defeat at Perpignan sandwiched in between.

Toulouse lie second in the Top 14 - with Stade Français likely to leapfrog them on Friday night after they catch up a game in hand at Toulon - and have stuttered domestically since November after storming into the season.

However, their Heineken Cup performances have been exceptional, with five wins and a draw from a Pool including Wasps and Llanelli taking them through as top seeds into the quarter-finals.

Toulouse will now go into the showdown with Leinster who will have 5,000 of their fans cheering them on in the 37,000-strong crowd.

Leinster have a back-line including Ireland international centres Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy, and fired by the magnificent Argentinian Felipe Contempomi.

The two back-lines are arguably the strongest in European club rugby, and with French international centre Florian Fritz, and fly-half Frédéric Michalak lining up alongside Jauzion, both will be at full strength.

“I’ve been lucky coming back from injury – I’ve been able to re-integrate well into the team and we have been working well together as a unit,” said Jauzion.

“Our game last weekend against Agen was a big test for us. It’s always difficult playing a derby game like that and really poor weather didn’t help.

"But we got the result we needed and now we can fully focus on the task ahead against Leinster.

“It’s going to be a really tough game. Leinster have several players who are really hard to defend against – obviously that includes the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy, but also Felipe Contepomi who has had a fantastic Heineken cup so far and is a really dangerous player, both with his goal kicking and his in-field play.

“I was obviously disappointed to miss out on the Six Nations and with the Irish centre pair at Leinster and me and Fritz playing for Toulouse, I suppose it is a bit like France v Ireland in the back line!"

In the Six Nations, France beat Ireland 43-31 in Paris, although Ireland came back from 43-3 down in an extraordinary game which yielded ten tries, eight of them from the backs.

Given the strengths of the teams on show on Saturday, that could have been a dress rehearsal in some ways, but Jauzion said it was not a pointer for form.

“Although we won the Six Nations game in Paris, I don’t think that gives us any real advantage. Ireland had an amazing second half, particularly in the back-line," he said.

“If anything, having seen that performance it is more worrying than re-assuring for us to know that so many members of the Irish team from that match will be playing here on Saturday.

“We won’t focus on individual players and try and concentrate on our own game, but we certainly know that, in order to win, our defence has to be completely solid so that’s a big focus for us this week.”

Duke Raoul · Post by **Duke Raoul** » March 29th, 2006, 11:51 am

I know he scored a try but, generally, how did he perform against Agen?

jezzer · Post by **jezzer** » March 29th, 2006, 11:58 am

He didn't look rusty at all, but a lot of the action happened in the pack (where Toulouse were VERY suspect against the rolling maul, esp off the lineout). Jauzion seems to be tha glue that holds the ship together. The key with him playing seems to be that Michalak relaxes and playes better. Still think that Michalak is the potential weak link in the Toulouse game.

Duke Raoul · Post by **Duke Raoul** » March 29th, 2006, 12:10 pm

jezzer wrote: Still think that Michalak is the potential weak link in the Toulouse game.

Absolutely Jezzer. For all his talents Freddie's been a lucky boy to have played outside Ellisalde and inside Jauzion all these years. I dare say Dan Parks would look dynamic between those two.

Hell, even when you attack him with ball in hand you're only setting yourself up for a straightener from Trev or Nyanga.

He's a kept man.

jezzer · Post by **jezzer** » March 29th, 2006, 12:15 pm

We'll have to keep the ball in hand. Even dinks over the top are likely to be picked up by the very mobile back three. Can see the maul used a lot and Toulouse were very lucky not to have players sent off - let alone yellow-carded - for the way they suicidally threw themselves under the feet of the Agen maul time after time. The very suspect ref ignored it all day...

upfront_1979 · Post by **upfront_1979** » March 29th, 2006, 12:18 pm

True, whos the ref for saturday?

apple sourz · Post by **apple sourz** » March 29th, 2006, 12:20 pm

upfront_1979 wrote:True, whos the ref for saturday?

Dave Pearson of England...... Andrew Trimbles mate!

upfront_1979 · Post by **upfront_1979** » March 29th, 2006, 12:23 pm

Pearson, does'nt ring a bell so he probably has'nt made an ass of himself in any game I've watched as I usually only remember the bad refs!

I guess if he's english he should ref the maul pretty well??
what did he and trimble get up to??

apple sourz · Post by **apple sourz** » March 29th, 2006, 12:25 pm

He awarded Trimble a try against Italy this year even though Trimble never actually grounded the ball.

Grumpy Old Man · Post by **Grumpy Old Man** » March 29th, 2006, 12:25 pm

He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!

upfront_1979 · Post by **upfront_1979** » March 29th, 2006, 12:30 pm

Grumpy Old Man wrote:He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!

oops should have remembered him as was at that game

hopefully he has a thing for the irish v continentals rather than just being a homer! (i'm feeling optimistic today)

ribs · Post by **ribs** » March 29th, 2006, 12:34 pm

Grumpy Old Man wrote:He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!

Damn - he let the Italians live off side all day and slow down all the turn-overs. If there is one way to stiffle a backline..

Uncle Mort · Post by **Uncle Mort** » March 29th, 2006, 12:41 pm

ribs wrote:
Grumpy Old Man wrote:He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!
Damn - he let the Italians live off side all day and slow down all the turn-overs. If there is one way to stiffle a backline..

Suddenly winning the triple crown at Twickenham doesn't seem so clever does it?

ribs · Post by **ribs** » March 29th, 2006, 12:44 pm

Uncle Mort wrote:
ribs wrote:
Grumpy Old Man wrote:He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!
Damn - he let the Italians live off side all day and slow down all the turn-overs. If there is one way to stiffle a backline..
Suddenly winning the triple crown at Twickenham doesn't seem so clever does it?

should I take your criptic comment to mean that Felipe should chip the defensive line for BOD to put Shaggy in at the corner??

Sorry - bit asleep at the wheel today, I don't get it

apple sourz · Post by **apple sourz** » March 29th, 2006, 12:46 pm

Uncle Mort wrote:
ribs wrote:
Grumpy Old Man wrote:He was the ref in the Ireland v Italy game and I'm worried - talk about giving home town decisions!!!
Damn - he let the Italians live off side all day and slow down all the turn-overs. If there is one way to stiffle a backline..
Suddenly winning the triple crown at Twickenham doesn't seem so clever does it?

What? Did you miss that game in Paris where ' we played all the football' or the strong performance against Wales where Jones' exit didn't really have any bearing on the result?

Uncle Mort · Post by **Uncle Mort** » March 29th, 2006, 12:51 pm

apple sourz wrote:
Uncle Mort wrote:
ribs wrote: Damn - he let the Italians live off side all day and slow down all the turn-overs. If there is one way to stiffle a backline..
Suddenly winning the triple crown at Twickenham doesn't seem so clever does it?
What? Did you miss that game in Paris where ' we played all the football' or the strong performance against Wales where Jones' exit didn't really have any bearing on the result?

I was merely pondernig on there (possibly) being an English homer referee - still - he liked us against Italy and he may remember that.

ribs · Post by **ribs** » March 29th, 2006, 12:53 pm

Uncle Mort wrote:
apple sourz wrote:
Uncle Mort wrote: Suddenly winning the triple crown at Twickenham doesn't seem so clever does it?
What? Did you miss that game in Paris where ' we played all the football' or the strong performance against Wales where Jones' exit didn't really have any bearing on the result?
Aaahhh - I get it now The revenge factor, though the stuffing France metted out might be more on his mind

I was merely pondernig on there (possibly) being an English homer referee - still - he liked us against Italy and he may remember that.

apple sourz · Post by **apple sourz** » March 29th, 2006, 12:53 pm

I was merely pondernig on there (possibly) being an English homer referee - still - he liked us against Italy and he may remember that.[/quote]

I actually don't mind Pearson at all. Just think, it could have been Nigel!

Uncle Mort · Post by **Uncle Mort** » March 29th, 2006, 12:56 pm

apple sourz wrote:Just think, it could have been Nigel!

careful now - that's the sort of comment to bring an old man out in a cold sweat

conman · Post by **conman** » March 29th, 2006, 5:24 pm

apple sourz wrote:He awarded Trimble a try against Italy this year even though Trimble never actually grounded the ball.

Don't you mean Tommy Bowe?