As the Nations Cup 2015 edges towards its conclusion with the Semi Finals this weekend, we spoke to Belgium & Netherlands (union team) Captain LeRoux and asked him for his thoughts on some key tournament issues.
You can follow LeRoux on Twitter
@LeRouxTheBee
He's a well mannered chap with some interesting answers. Read the full interview below!
*MnBComp:Congratulations on making it through to the quarter finals! You were favourites going into the match and looked strong throughout. What do you think of how the game went?*
LeRoux: Thank you! We lost the first two rounds of the match; at that point I think we felt a bit stressed. However we ended up picking up the next two rounds in clean fashion and had a 4-0 on the second set. All I can say about that is that I'm very happy BeNe kept it tight. Morale was good, the team play was very good. Of course we made minor mistakes, but we kept our cool and pulled through.
*MnBComp:Team Belgium & Netherlands are gaining a reputation for having strong ranged talent. How do you see the balance of ability among the team's players?*
LeRoux: Honestly it's true BeNe has a lot of ranged talent, and a lot of players who play another class but can play ranged when needed. However I don't think in our team it's that dominant, we have several very good infantry and some very talented cavalry players. If anything I'd want people to look at BeNe and see a complete team with good players on all classes, because that's how it really is. I'll give you an example. Dr_Doener. He's an infantry who can just go crazy and kill 4 people in a row. Of course Kellermann and Caius can do the same thing. Same goes for Tomy or Ceasar or Megaman when they play cavalry. Next to those players, I feel our team has some great support players, who can make sure our team play stays good in chaotic fights.
*MnBComp:With Turkey in such devastating form, showing threatening play on both open and closed maps, how do you rate your chances against them?*
LeRoux: We're going to try our very best. I think if we play our A-game, we stand a chance. I don't think Turkey is that much of a threat, it will come down to how BeNe plays. The skill difference between Turkey and BeNe isn't that big. If we can neutralize their super stars, we stand a good chance. Next to that we can't make any mistakes at all or they will punish us for it. I know they won't underestimate us, but I still hope we can catch them off guard and surprise them with our plays. Even if we lose, if we play a clean game and present Turkey with a challenge, I'll be very proud of my boys.
*MnBComp:In the other semi-final, UK will be meeting a Poland side that have already defied expectations in the knockout stage. What are your expectations for that match?*
LeRoux: Honestly I can't tell. Poland have shown they can keep their cool and are willing to put in the effort to win this year. On the other hand you have UK. They're a bit of a wild bunch. Either Poland wins, and we'll see UK struggle the entire game. Or we get a very close game that I think UK will win. I'm not rooting for anyone though, I think both teams deserve it. If I had to pick a team to fight in finals, I'd like to fight UK. I think BeNe stands a better chance against them. Poland are just very solid.
*MnBComp:BeNe have had mixed Nations Cup results in the past but this year might be their best chance ever to take home the trophy. How realistic does that seem for you at this point and what would it mean to you and the team?*
LeRoux: Yes, this is without a doubt our best year so far. We put in a lot of effort and work. We had our struggles and our internal issues but now we're going strong. I think a shot at first place will be determined with our match vs Turkey. If we win that one, I feel very confident in BeNe winning NC2015.
It would be massive for the team, we've always had the talent but it never really showed. This year we've found a way to make it work and I think we're all very happy. For me personally it would be amazing. As a player I've won all sorts of tournaments but never did good in a Nation's Cup. To have a shot at 1st place is amazing. I can't stop saying it, I'm already very proud of my team.
They're all amazing guys. Anything we get from this point is amazing, but I can't imagine being more proud than I already am.
~***~
More info on the Nations Cup
here MnBComp on
Twitter
Staff:
Aeronwen,
captainlust,
Le Roux.
