After a season in which they excelled, the Biterrois have earned the right to a playoff berth. On the eve of welcoming Brive, Béziers' players and coach took a look back at the five highlights of their year.
- 1. Slow but institutional start
Best moments of the season
After finishing at the bottom of the division in 2023, the start of the 2024 season did not leave much hope. To the ever-demanding Bézier supporterss. Béziers won at Stade Raoul Barriere with a small point against SAXV and Rouen. ASBH lost heavily in Brive (35-5) and less in Mont-de-Marsan (38-24). The absence of Samuel Marquez, Francisco Fernandez and Rafael Storti who attended the World Cup with Os Lobos was clearly detrimental. From the outside, for Rouge et Bleu fans, this is perhaps the worst period in a very successful season. But not from the inside. Pierre Caillat rejects the term “slow victories.”
He explains: “These matches are the best moments of the season! This is where we worked a lot and where the team built itself in character and in its style of play, even though we had a lot of injuries, there are players coming… When the Portuguese joined us, we rode their dynamism, But they also rode what we built, because in these difficult moments we came together, grew, and transformed ourselves through difficulty.
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- 2. Dynamic release valves
It's only in Béziers that you can see elevators like that
in between “Easy times” What Pierre Caillat talks about, Obviously, this authoritarian success against Grenoble at the beginning of November (48-3). Pressing on FCG in this way, not many can say the same. But the coach wants, before talking about this match against Ezerwa, to return to the draw against Van on September 13. It's the first “Easy time” So. In that time, the Bretons were unbeaten after four days and dominated the Pro D2 championship. “We're fifteen points down and we're giving you a terrible last fifteen minutesPierre Caillat continues. It's only in Béziers that you can see elevators like that. I haven't seen a lot of clubs do that. Here, you feel like you have a personality, and that really helps. Then it continues to develop with this match. A few times we didn't get far and said to ourselves that the coin should fall on our side and then against Grenoble, that was the case. I used all your failures and put 40 on these chicks. And then you leave it because you have character, you have a good group, you can play hard and the crowd comes back…”
- 3. Travel builds youth
I recognized a few of the guys on the bus
“Highlight of the season? It's the return of the bus.” When asked, Chico Fernandes answers with a smile, having been at the club since the summer of 2011. But the columnist is not there to laugh. He explains: “This is where the group is formed. I got to know a few of the guys on the bus.” The Portuguese may have given the reason why the Biterrois recorded four successive victories away from their bases between December and January: Biarritz, Valencia Roman, Colomiers and Montauban. In ten meetings, ASBH won nine between December and February. “When the dynamic is created, the group is also formed, and there is no doubt that there is a good sense of humour, and you do well.”raises left hand.
- 4. DAX The first stage of the obstacle course
All the teams we played had something to play for
After a week of very convincing success against… Brive (34-15) on 29 February, ASBH traveled to DAX. But after an exhausting encounter with Cujo but also with Mont-de-Marsan and trips to Vannes and Montauban, Bézier collapsed in the show against Landis (57-20). There would be no more success outside, bringing an end to the crazy winter. In this match, the defense collapsed, which is one of the strengths of this team. “From DAX onwards, all the teams we played had something to play for, whether it was for qualification or maintenance.“, also explains Captain Clément Ansely. We managed to win at home but not away. In Aurillac, for example, we met a very large team that knew how to welcome us.”
- 5 Nevers, crazy hunger
This meeting demonstrated the strength of character of this team
“Since the game against DAX, the coin was not falling in the right way. We did not have the right rebounds, the right balls, the right passes, the kicks, even the video referees. Against Nevers, it was the income.”Gabin Lore starts. However, for a very long time, not everything went well for Héraultais against Nivernais during D29. Xavier Péméja's players had the ball in the camp with one minute to go. After a fantastic season, Petero's side would have lost a lot if they lost at home, coupled with injuries to Sias Quinn, Rafael Storti and Clement Betz. But magic happened, and the room turned around. Spurred by nearly 14,000 spectators, Pierre Caillat's men, freed and hungry, sought victory after the sirens. Four important points in a very close tournament that allow them today to enter a playoff match.
“This match showed the strength of character of this teampicks up the 22-year-old's ass. Against Brive, we will try to repeat the suspension like we had against Nevers, but I feel the team is in good shape. We've had a good week, good preparation, and we're looking forward to it. If it has the same result in the end, then I don't mind being honest! But we will try not to make some hearts break.” In the hearts of their fans, Béziers players and coaches are already there after this crazy season!
