By winning this Saturday against Oyonnax in an important match for maintenance, Usap signed a third success in a row, after those gleaned against Bayonne and Castres.
With this victory at Aimé-Giral (27-12), Franck Azéma’s players leave the red zone and climb to 11th place ahead of Oyonnax. Franck Azéma, manager of Perpignan, relishes: “We did not panic, our leaders took their responsibilities. The guys took a lot of pride in defending close to the line, it looks like the DNA of USAP. We’re not yet halfway through, but it’s good to no longer be relegated. Mentally, it’s important. We are only going to have big matches until the end of the season. The Top 14 is a marathon.» Obviously a different story from Joe El Abd, the manager of Oyonnax: “I feel frustrated because it was an opportunity to win against a competitor for survival, but we were undisciplined, with too many cards (three). I have the feeling that we were not refereed well. It’s difficult for my players to stay calm when we see so many opposing fouls that aren’t called.».
