Bristol (United Kingdom) (AFP)

Despite the "big disappointment" caused by the defeat in the final of the European Cup against Exeter (31-27), the coach of Racing 92, Laurent Travers, wants to retain "the extraordinary mental strength" of his players , who never gave up.

Q: What is your feeling after this final?

A: "My feeling is of course a big disappointment for all the players and staff, for the partners and especially for our president who had done everything necessary to put us in the best possible conditions. big disappointment of course compared to the physiognomy of the match. We start with a handicap of 14 points, we are led by 9 points at halftime. The players showed extraordinary mental strength. We managed to win the second period, we have the possibility of winning the match since we finish at one point (before Simmonds' last penalty, editor's note), on their line and even in the in-goal. So I'm disappointed with all of that because that would have been something magical and beautiful. But it's like when you fall from your horse, you will have to get back into the saddle quickly because you are not at the end of the season. From next week you will have to take back the Top 14 , resume the (European Cup) very quickly ".

Q: Exeter played on his strengths that you knew yet

A: "We knew very well that as soon as they arrived in the 22 - we worked on it all week - it's a very difficult team. They are not in the final of the English Championship and it will not be their 6th final in 5 years by chance. It's a team that is currently well in place. I think that we were the team that put it the most in danger of the whole season, which almost cost them the title. But I said bankrupt, because we didn't get there. We were approximate on the start of the match, this approximation gives them the opportunity to score while we are in a possibility, us, to put them in difficulty, and we expose ourselves. But what is important is that the team has never broken. And we are really proud of this team because despite the difficulties and everything that could have happened, they showed values ​​of sharing, solidarity, mutual aid, but also rugby values, because being able to score four tries for this team, I can

nse that it is not easy.

The only thing is that there is only one winner and that we will only keep in mind this winner and tonight, it's Exeter and it's not Racing ”.

Q: Isn't the regret increased by the fact that the loss is linked to individual mistakes?

A: "Defeats are always linked to problems, to things that can be missed. It's easy to do the analysis afterwards but what is certain is that there are choices that have been made and when we make choices, it is solidarity that prevails. It can happen that we miss a pass, that we miss a game on the foot. What is important is the next action. The players accomplished it to the end, and we showed that we could be champion tonight. If we had won, there was nothing to say. There was a winner, it's not the right one, we would have preferred that it be in our camp (but) it is out of the question to say + it is (the fault of) so and so +. When the team wins, it's the team, when the team loses , it's the team. What made our strength is our team and what will make our strength will be our team ".

© 2020 AFP