Top 14 – Guillaume Cramont (Toulouse) Proud of Reaction
Stade Toulousain Dominates Toulon After Champions Cup Exit
Marseille, France – Stade Toulousain rebounded from a Champions Cup semi-final defeat with a resounding 50-16 victory over Toulon this Saturday. The win, secured in Marseille, showcased a dominant performance that pleased hooker Guillaume Cramont.
Cramont on Team’s Reaction and Victory
Following the match, Cramont spoke about the team’s mindset after a challenging week. “We are very proud of the reaction of the whole group,” Cramont stated. “We realy wanted to come here and get a result,and it went in our favor. So it’s really cool.”
Turning Point: Toulon’s red Card
The match shifted decisively in the second half, influenced by a red card issued to Toulon’s Baptiste Serin. “Of course,it made a big difference,” Cramont acknowledged.”we know the quality of Baptiste Serin. It certainly helped us a lot. Afterwards, we were dominating up front, and with them being one man down, we know we have efficient players in our three-quarter line when they have spaces.”
Intratable, the Toulousains swept through Toulonnais reduced quickly to 14 after the two yellow cards received by Baptiste Serin. Stadists validate their direct ticket for the half
— Rugby Drama (@Rugbyramafr)
Addressing Ground Game Weaknesses
Cramont addressed the team’s focus on improving their ground game after the Bordeaux defeat. “Yes, of course. We worked on it all week because we had lost, I think, nine balls on the ground in Bordeaux,” he explained. “We really wanted to focus on it. We know they have good scrapers with Isa or Fainga’anuku. So we tried to do the best on the game on the ground.”
Aspiring play and Fan Support
The team aimed for an ambitious and enjoyable style of play. “We had a little head upside down compared to the lost semi-final,” Cramont said. “You had to go ahead, be ambitious in the game to have fun simply and succeed in giving supporters. It smiled at us.”
The match at the Vélodrome drew a large Toulouse contingent. “It brought us [energy],” Cramont noted. “When you are in the match, you don’t make too much [of the crowd]. But on ‘off’ times, on video arbitrations for example, we really feel the atmosphere of the match, supporters. And there were a lot of Toulouse.For a moment, we felt that it was pushing when we were starting to make a little break. There were a lot of songs for the Toulousains, so it’s nice.”
Coach’s Expectations and Commitment
Before the match, coach Laurent Thuéry emphasized behavior over results. “Of course, [we answered it],” Cramont affirmed.”We don’t frequently enough win in Toulon.we won once in ten years, I think. This is the second. Obviously, it is indeed favorable, both in commitment and in the result.”
Late-Game Positional Shifts
Cramont described an unusual late-game situation that saw him playing in the three-quarter line. “Naoto (Saito) had a few cramps, I think. So I was told: ‘You go to the center and Paul (Graou) iron in 9.’ there was ‘castro’ (Castro-Ferreira) and I in the center, with Barassi and Costes on the wings, I think. It had to be ‘choco’ in 10, or perhaps Paul (Costes). Actually, at that time, there were no longer any posts (laughing). It was complicated but, I played like a ninth before!”