Castella, Talavante and Roca, protagonists of an inconsequential closing in San Sebastián

Three veteran figures such as Sebastián Castella, Alejandro Talavante, and Roca Rey, with their inconclusive and speculative performances against manageable bulls from Alcurrucén, prolonged the insignificance of the last event of the Semana Grande of San Sebastián to the three soporific hours of duration.

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There was, indeed, an ear concession, and at a very cheap price, which went to the hands of the French Castella, more due to the good disposition of the San Sebastián audience than the content of his work on a fourth bull that was the clearest and most ductile of a lineup that did not respond in behavior to the usual standards.

Basically, because the varied bullfight, in types, volumes, and coats, displayed in one way or another the defects and virtues of its Núñez bloodline, but almost always breaking down at the muleta after cold first thirds that already began to make the fight drag more than it should.

The fact is that most had greater or lesser chances before the red cloth, with which the trio almost always handled with excessive pauses and strolls, without specifying either the series or the passes, but rather giving all three a nearly indifferent and conservative muleta work that did not generate greater emotions or response in the stands, until the usual final close-up resource.

Castella, as usual, was the one who dwelled most on those dead times to then bullfight with the same lightness with which he applied himself before the first piebald, which had a good left horn and for which he achieved a moderately estimable series, although more mechanically than passionately.

With the one for the ear, a somewhat coarse red bull that was by far the most complete of the lineup, the Frenchman again extended himself in the pauses of the presentation, distributed among series of detached, short, and light passes, always stumbling on the few he gave with the left.

And all before seeking the closeness of a tired animal that resisted falling after a very perpendicular sword thrust, which generated the applause that preceded the concession of a trophy of little value for its matador.

Alejandro Talavante, for his part, helped, carrying it in line, to make the beautiful second bull charge, and even managed to perform a handful of passes of certain quality within a work that he cut short and never fully consolidated.

And even less did he apply himself with the fifth, another fine specimen that lowered its head and always wanted more stroke in the muletazos than the Extremaduran gave it, very detached in the cites and embroques, without ambition or any bet.

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Roca Rey was assigned the most serious and deep of the main bulls, drawn as sixth, but which took the turn after the third was returned for entering the ring cramped. The Alcurrucén bull did not lower its head nor apply itself, and the Peruvian bullfighter extended himself trying to find, unsuccessfully, a way to shine. The animal, on the other hand, did not allow him even to enjoy the final displays, except in some tight bernadinas in which the loudest olés of the afternoon were heard, perhaps a prelude to an ear request that did not come due to his mistakes with the descabello and the two warnings touch.

The substitute bull, which was another serious specimen, showed brusqueness before settling down and thus discouraging Roca’s long and dull work, who tried to get it out of the afternoon’s tedium with the typical close-up before killing it defectively. At least, the “Ciudad de Irún” band served, as on previous afternoons, to masterfully liven up the event.