Top 14: a bench of stars in Toulouse against Lyon

Rarely has a bench aroused so much admiration.

This Sunday evening (9:05 p.m.), Stade Toulousain will line up exceptional substitutes for the reception of Lyon with five French internationals, recent winners of the Six Nations Tournament: hooker Julien Marchand, prop Cyril Baille, third line François Cros, opener Romain Ntamack and scrum half Antoine Dupont, voted best player of the 2022 edition.

𝙇𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤 𝙙𝙪 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙙𝙚 🔥

Find the 𝐗𝐕 𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐞́𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 of our Stadistes against the LOU ⤵jLOU.

– Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) March 26, 2022

On the side of the holders, the champion of France and Europe in title will nevertheless align the substitute Blues last week against England, during the last match of the Tournament: Thibaud Flament at the post of flanker, the hooker Peato Mauvaka, the back Thomas Ramos and winger Matthis Lebel.

Only Anthony Jelonch, the third French international line, will be spared.

“It changes a lot of things about the quality of the group”

Clément Poitrenaud, the Toulouse three-quarter coach, was in any case delighted with the return of the French internationals: “It changes a lot of things about the quality of the overall group, the positive dynamic following the Grand Slam.

Afterwards, what is interesting is that we are coming out of a good performance without them (35-10, March 20, against Montpellier) and that the group has been in constant progression during all the doublings.

It will take a little time for everyone to reconnect.

»

In the league, the Toulousains are currently sixth pending the meeting against LOU, just ahead of them in the standings with one more point.

The evening's result will therefore be decisive in the final race for the play-offs.

Only the first six will qualify.

Taofifenua lined up at the entrance

His opponent will line up a few internationals like the second line Romain Taofifenua, the flanker Dylan Cretin, the scrum half Baptiste Couilloud, the pillar Jérôme Rey and the center Pierre-Louis Barassi.

“It's a team that has beaten us regularly for several years.

It is very solid with a simple but effective game plan with players capable of making individual differences, ”commented Clément Poitrenaud, member of the Toulouse staff.