El Abd’s in dreamland after latest miracle job
“We turned down extension offers six months ago it’s not about the money, the club needs to be developed properly”
- Joe El Abd
These three kids will never forget the day they celebrated one of the biggest shocks in French rugby in front of a sell-out crowd at the Stade de France in Paris. Nor will their dad, Joe El Abd, one-time flanker with Bristol, who has carved a huge reputation for himself in France since he became a coach only five years ago.
Not only has Brighton-born El Abd, son of an English mother and Egyptian father, played a major part in winning the Top 14 title for Castres, he had already coached the minnows of Oyonnax to play in the Champions Cup for the first time in their history after winning them promotion as captain two years earlier. A famous exploit.
Just a week after giant-killing Castres had beaten hot favourites Montpellier to the trophy, El Abd, 38, told The Rugby Paper what the astonishing run-in had meant to him.
“We have all been on an emotional rollercoaster for weeks,” he said. “There were 20,000 fans lining the streets and crowding into the town square when a truck brought us in from their airport. That is half of Castres’ population.
“Remember, we had to beat La Rochelle on their ground to keep them below us before we grabbed the last qualifying spot in sixth.
“That was our fifth away win of the season, an amazing achievement for the 11th budget in the Top 14.
“Then we had to beat the top three teams, Toulouse, Racing and Montpellier in successive weeks to land the trophy. It is the stuff of dreams.”
El Abd says he never doubted the little-changed team would manage to surmount the exhausting tests of nerve, strength and belief.
“In fact, we grew physically stronger with every game,” he said. A feat he credits in large measure to the capture two years ago of physical trainer Vincent Giacobbi from Saracens.
Head coach Christophe Urios, El Abd, who looks after the defence and forwards, and Frederic Charrier, the attack and backs coach, made the decision to sack their three physical trainers after their first season with Castres.
Giacobbi, who worked a decade in South African rugby and combat sports, brought his own team with the plan to hit peak fitness from April onwards.
“It worked a treat,” said El Abd. “We also set up a player-staff council to meet every six weeks in the regular season and every week during the play-offs.
“The idea was to develop leaders so we could all feel we were doing things together. Obviously things could get heated at times, especially between our half-backs Rory Kockott and Benjamin Urdapilleta.
“They used to scream at each other on and off the field and it was something we had to talk about to get them to calm down. The relationship wasn’t always healthy on the pitch.”
It certainly was, though, in the play-offs, especially in the 29-13 win over Montpellier in which South African scrum-half Kockott and Argentine fly-half Urdapilleta proved match winners.
El Abd explained: “Rory can be a stubborn guy, but he’s a warrior, a real driving force in the big games. A born winner.”
Kockott also had the motivation of having often been left on the bench for star Montpellier scrum-half Ruan Pienaar when both played for the Sharks in Durban
El Abd added: “Montpellier have such big players it was important that we put them off their games. Rory and our back row got at Pienaar early.
“We are a tight-knit bunch and tried to envisage all situations we might face, including going down to 14 men. So everyone was primed for anything the game might throw up.”
What, on the other hand, is still open to question is the long-term future with Castres of Utios, El Abd and Charrier. That is because they are about to enter the final year of their contracts with El Abd revealing: “We all turned down extension offers from the club six months ago.
“It is not a question of money, but of our belief that the club needs to be developed properly to remain competitive for the next 20 years.
“For example, our academy, on which we rely to produce future stars, does not even have a gym of its own. The young ones have to use ours when they can or find others in the town.”
Urios floated the idea before the final that he and his men might leave if their requests were not met.
Abd commented: “I think Chris regretted saying that when he did. He has since said he will be with Castres next season and so will we. Maybe it will then be the end, but a lot can happen in a year. So we will see how things turn out.”
Urios had a brief meeting with president Pierre-Yves Revol last Monday before flying to New Zealand to take charge of the French Barbarians with La Rochelle coach Xavier Garbajosa.
Revol said: “I hope we can quickly reach an agreement so Christophe can continue with the club. If that is not the case, I will respect his decision. That is where we are.”