Rugby: Lausanne aim to spoil Geneva 'double' hopes

In Saturday's final match of the season, Geneva Plan-les-Ouates hope to capture the showcase Swiss Cup to add to the league title they won last weekend. Their opponents, Stade Lausanne, who enjoy home advantage, a renovated stadium and celebrate their 40th anniversary, are unlikely to feel very accommodating. “I’d say we’re slightly tense about the situation, with some positive energy,” Stade Lausanne skipper, Emile Borrer told Swisster ahead of the Swiss cup final at the Juan Antonio Samaranch Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 
“We have prepared quite an extravaganza with bars and barbeques, a sevens tournament and plenty of entertainment. It’s a big day for the club and it’s the first time we’ve been in the final for a long time,” he added – so no pressure there then!
“We’re not trying to focus too much on them [Geneva PLO], we will be concentrating on our pre-match preps, mind-set etc.,” said Borrer. “If we can get the basics right we're going to be alright in a complicated game like rugby.”
In contrast, having achieved their seasonal objective by squeezing past Hermance to take the league title last weekend, the pressure is now off Geneva. “We’ll try to make it an enjoyable final if we’re allowed,” said PLO coach John Etheridge.
“We would like to win the double but we're just going to take the match as it comes,” said Etheridge. “I expect it’s going to be a very difficult and hard game and they’re probably going to come at us much harder than Hermance did.”
Head-to-head this season, Geneva have come out on top on both occasions but not by much. November’s trench warfare clash ended 11-6. In May, Geneva also emerged victorious, 25-19. However, Lausanne feel that they were never really outplayed and might have reversed the results on another day.
Earlier this year, Geneva were the Manchester United of Swiss rugby, but a dip in form over the past few weeks has seen them looking vulnerable, more like Chelsea. Hermance inexplicably let PLO off the hook in the league play-off final and are more-than-likely still beating themselves up about it.
“We’ve probably peaked too early,” explained Etheridge. “We’ve played 24 games in a year for almost eleven months so it’s very difficult to peak at the right time.”
Meanwhile Borrer knows that this is the time to pounce. “I’m in the twilight of my career and I’m not going to get to play too many finals. Once that whistle blows, everyone got responsibilities and there’s lots of little battles that have to be won. I will set an example by my commitment on the field," he said.
Saturday’s event takes place at the refurbished Juan Antonio Samaranch Stadium, renamed after the former International Olympic Committee boss. The venue used to be Stade Lausanne’s home turf and Saturday marks a fitting return for the club which was formed in 1969.
“To have the honour of hosting the Swiss Cup final in the year of the Stade Lausanne’s 40th anniversary is a very proud moment for the club,” President Andrew Cummins said. “The Swiss Cup has an impeccable tradition and we look forward to adding to what will be a memorable day of rugby in Lausanne by providing a wonderful opportunity to involve all rugby fans and the entire Lausanne community.”
Entrance is free.
Programme
10:00: National sevens tournament
Pool A (Geneva PLO, Stade Lausanne, Grasshoppers, Bern) Juan-Antonio Samaranch Stadium, Vidy, Lausanne
Pool B (Nyon, Yverdon, Lugano, Fribourg) LUC Stadium, Dorigny, Lausanne
Semi-finals and final between 12:30 and 14:00
14:00: Women’s exhibition match
Suisse Romande selection (CERN Wildcats, Nyon Mermaids, Yverdon Amazones) against Northern Switzerland (Luzern Dangels, Grasshopper Club Zürich, Basel Birds, Red Devils Bern) Juan-Antonio Samaranch Stadium, Vidy, Lausanne
15:00: Swiss Cup final
Stade Lausanne v Geneva PLO, Juan-Antonio Samaranch Stadium, Vidy, Lausanne