Mas warns wounded Perpignan must vent fury on Saints
Saturday’s 8-9 reverse for the French champions against the Italian side was one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s 15-year history, and it has left the Catalan side with a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.
Mas conceded that only a big performance against the Saints would suffice but he admitted it had been a difficult week.
“After losing a match like that, it can be difficult to get your head together,” said Mas. “Knowing that we must get back in the zone for Friday has made the week even harder. We will be disappointed with ourselves if we do not put in a big performance. We must regroup, become more humble and we’ll become better.”
Mas admitted the match against Treviso had led to no little amount of soul-searching amongst players.
“There was incomprehension after the match,” he added. “The match raised many questions as you might imagine a result like that to do. We probably thought it was impossible to lose. That’s our fault. But on Monday, everyone was back to work and everyone was focused on the match against Northampton.”
Mas was quick to pay tribute to Saturday’s visitors to Thomond Park. Treviso, he said, fully deserved their victory against Perpignan and predicted they’d give Munster plenty to think about.
“You can’t really say that they’ve ever been minnows. Over the last few years, they’ve always had a threatening team. They are big lads. They knew what to expect from us and we sank.”
Perpignan make several changes for tonight’s clash. Nicolas Durand returns at scrum-half after being sidelined by injury whilst Guilhem Guirado is preferred to controversial hooker, Marius Tincu.
Guirado’s opposite number, Northampton skipper Dylan Hartley insists his side will step into the unknown without any fear at Perpignan after their momentous 31-27 victory over two-time European champions Munster.
Hartley knows that repeating that feat in the back yard of the French champions will be “a massive challenge”, possibly harder still because of Perpignan’s shock opening defeat at Treviso. But the Saints captain senses something special building at the club and he believes the Saints can take the competition by storm.
“We want to win the Heineken Cup,” said Hartley, who will lead out an unchanged team at the Stade Aime Giral.
“We’re new to the competition as a squad. I believe that will help us, and we will have no fear.
“Perpignan are the Top 14 champions and are set in the heartland of rugby in the south of France. I’ve never played them before – we are going into the unknown, but I’m excited.
“It’s achievable for us to qualify from this pool. We have an awesome team spirit, a great squad, strength in depth and a balance of youth and experience.”
Elsewhere, Lions prop Gethin Jenkins makes his first start of the season for injury-hit Cardiff against Sale Sharks – after recovering from shoulder surgery.
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