La Rochelle (AFP)

Life is good at the edge of the Atlantic for ex-Stade Français Geoffrey Doumayrou, Jérémy Sinzelle and Jules Plisson, centerpieces of the leader La Rochelle visiting Sunday (9:05 p.m.) at the Jean-Bouin stadium at the end of the 9th day of the Top 14.

Since their arrival at Stade Rochelais in 2017, Doumayrou and Sinzelle, now in their thirties, have become dads.

It is with the yellow and black jersey that the first discovered the French team (13 selections in the center) and that the second discovered a vocation of Swiss army knife, essential to the fluidity of the game of maritime movement, if attractive at the start of the season.

Plisson, 29, landed last fall, after 14 seasons in the capital and the last very difficult months with the staff of Heyneke Meyer, the South African coach whose methods no longer passed with the workforce.

Without any regret considering the turn of current events.

"I'm too lucky to be there, with a life totally different from the one I had in Paris. I feel liberated, lighter, I can do what I want," says the opener, who tastes with assiduity in the pleasures of fishing and navigation in the openings, these maritime zones sheltered and delimited by islands, according to the calendar ... of the marshes.

Last Sunday, after the victory against Clermont (19-10) - which allowed his club to become again leader of the Top 14 for the first time in three years -, the second top scorer in the championship (83 points) underlined how much he felt good under the maritime colors.

"Me, I'm going (to Paris) as a Rochelais, as a guy who has fun in this team. That of the Stade Français is different, even if Gonzalo (Quesada) is back, it's a other group ".

- Plisson, figurehead -

Champions of France in 2015 with the Stade Français, the former pink soldiers do not hide that they would like to win the Brennus with La Rochelle, stopped twice in the semi-finals against Toulon in 2017 (without them), then against Toulouse in 2019 ( without Plisson).

"It's great to live in the final stages but we still haven't won anything, recalls Sinzelle. You really have to know what the group wants. Either we are satisfied with that, at least, or we will look for a little more. high. After a while, you have to get into the big leagues ".

The idea surely also trots in the head of + Doum +, at the end of the contract next June and more reviewed in the group since the victory over UBB (20-6) on October 25th.

Not sure whether he is traveling to Paris.

Remarkable in his kicking game and his inspirations for his lane players in particular - Brice Dulin scored in this phase of play against ASM -, Plisson is a figurehead - 13 starts on 16 match sheets for a year - the dynamics of his team, ready for the change of season.

"We are entering a winter period which will be hard, which will be long. Frankly, we play rugby for matches where there are lots of tests and flights but also for matches where we find ourselves in as a team. It's great to be able to keep playing, and to do it that way, "he said enthusiastically.

And it is not the start in the selections of their teammates (Grégory Alldritt, Arthur Retière, Levani Botia, Facundo Bosch) which will disturb their overall serenity, even if the French and Fijian internationals are likely to play on Sunday because of the cancellation of this Fall Nations Cup match.

"We will see how we will react by losing executives. We have the guys to compensate, there are no worries", slips Sinzelle, determined.

© 2020 AFP