Harry “Gorilla” Mepham, promoted to head coach, has sparked a resurgence for Team Vitality. They defied the odds to reach the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Finals, where they fell to eventual winners Fnatic. We caught up with Gorilla after the defeat.
Lee Joens: Map one started slowly, similar to the previous series against Heretics.
Do you think the lack of warm-up played a role in that, like last time?
Gorilla: 100%. In BO5s that can last up to 6 hours, we didn’t want to start our day too early for a warm-up. Given the recent results, we might reconsider this approach. But in general, that was our strategy.
What was different about map two that led to your success?
Gorilla: We are comfortable on Ascent. Haven, however, has not been great for us in recent games. With Fnatic having the advantage in the map veto, they took away our best maps. We had to make compromises, and on map two, we found our rhythm.
Image credit: Riot Games
Lee Jones: Do you think not having any comfortable maps after that affected the team?
Was tiredness a factor in map four being the toughest?
Gorilla: Tiredness definitely played a part. A small mistake on defense let the opponent get the upper hand. Unlike Fnatic, who had more rest time, we were fatigued. We look forward to having that advantage in the future.
Read also: VIT Sayf: I have no time to breathe
Was the Clove pick on map a surprise?
Gorilla: It caught us off guard. We were prepared for Bind, but the Clove usage was unexpected. Despite being behind, the team remained positive and supportive throughout the game.
Can you take pride in reaching this stage, despite the recent defeat?
Gorilla: Yes, reaching the top two is a remarkable achievement considering our previous struggles. I am proud of the team’s progress in the last two months. We will prioritize rest before the upcoming Champions tournament.
Is there a challenge in balancing rest and practice before Champions?
Given the intensity of the season and the changes we’ve made, rest is a priority. We will have lighter practice days before the tournament. It’s important for the team to reconnect, rest, and prepare for the challenges ahead.
Lee Jones: Because the other one [EURO 2024] didn’t.
Is this one coming home then?
The other one didn’t. But we’ll see. We don’t have Southgate, so it might look promising.
Read next: Daniel Ringland answers all pressing VCT EMEA questions
