“I’m here to win something,” promises ex Rochelles Ihaya West

I feel very good. It’s almost the end of the season and we’re still in two leagues. It’s good for the club and for me, I want to finish the season well. When I arrived, I had to move on with my new teammates, my new team, and my new game strategy. I needed a little time to get into a rhythm and gain confidence. I feel much better now.

Has the arrival of Dan Biggar had a positive impact on your performance?

naturally. Before that, I was almost alone to play all the matches at the opening. So when Dan came in, the team helped me and helped me. He has a lot of experience, and we were able to share a lot of things. Now there is competition and we have to be at our best level to have a chance to play, that’s positive.

How do you analyze team performance?

It was a bit difficult at the beginning of the season because there were a lot of new players. It took us a while to adjust but for a few months the team was playing well and we were still in contention in two leagues.

A special match awaits you on Saturday against your former team, La Rochelle …

It will be great. It will be a slightly different game, especially in Marseille, because we did something special there last season with La Rochelle, by winning the Champions Cup. I know that all of Rochelet are anxious to get back to the Velodrome. It will be good to see friends again but it will be different on the field. It will be an important meeting for us, to remain in the top six.

Are you more present with your teammates before facing a team you know well?

Yes, a little bit, but that’s not just me. There’s also Jeremy (Sinzel), Danny (Bresso) and Matthew (Tanguy). When we analyzed the La Rochelle video, Frank (Azéma) asked us if we wanted something added so we shared a little bit about our experience.

Is the offer guaranteed between two teams qualified for the European finals?

I think it will be a great match, a great show and I hope the fans will come to the Velodrome. When we got to Mayol this past weekend the place was huge. We came walking down the road and there were a lot of people, it’s great to see the fans like that.

We’re talking about your possible return to La Rochelle next season, on the 31st. What can you say?