Thion: Winning final like climbing 'Everest'
Sat, 22 May 2010 15:32
Biarritz skipper Jerome Thion admits he is still hurting from his side's defeat to Munster in the 2006 Heineken Cup final.
But the 32-year-old lock believes his time is about to come after picking up two losers medals at the end of the biggest day out in European club rugby.
The giant lock’s first taste of Heineken Cup final failure was in Dublin in 2003 when he was in the Perpignan side that lost to Toulouse. Then came the loss in Cardiff to Munster three years later.
"I know that Thierry Dusautoir has lost in two finals as well and that means one of us is going to be very happy on Saturday night while the other will be very, very disappointed," said Thion.
"I was only 24 in 2003 when I lost with Perpignan against Toulouse. But now I have more experience I feel more confident going into my third final.
"I feel ready for the game, although I’m still very frustrated about losing to Munster in the 2006 final."
Even though his side beat Toulouse comfortably at Estadio Anoeta in the French Championship earlier in the year, Thion retains the highest respect for his rivals on Saturday.
"For the last ten years Toulouse has been the top team in Europe. To beat them we will have to give everything we’ve got," said Thion.
"But the reason we are in the final is that we’ve all pulled together - winning this game is going to be like climbing Everest for us."
With thanks to the ERC
Contact Us | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Advertising
