“It's easier to play again when you've won and everything has been positive. It's harder when you've finished fifth in the Tournament and picked up every weekend."
Clément Poitrenaud, the coach of the Toulouse three-quarters, sets the scene when the Stade Toulousain, only sixth in the standings after La Rochelle's victory over Racing 92, finds all of its vital forces (11 winners of the Grand Slam!) before receiving Lyon (9:05 p.m.), at the end of the 21st day of the Top 14.
To discover
Schedule and Top 14 results
Ranking Top 14
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Ugo Mola, the manager of Stade Toulousain, has decided to establish the internationals who were substitutes in the France team.
Thus, hooker Peato Mauvaka, winger Matthis Lebel and full-back Thomas Ramos will start on Sunday evening.
Thibaud Flament, usual second-line, will start as flanker.
On the bench of substitutes, we find the heavy artillery, very heavy: the hooker Julien Marchand, the left pillar Cyril Baille, the third-line François Cros and the usual hinge composed of the scrum half Antoine Dupont and the opener Romain Ntamack.
An XXL bench.
The group has been in constant progress during the duplicates.
The dynamic started without the internationals
Clement Poitrenaud
So many returns that “
change a lot of things,
continues Poitrenaud.
The number of players present in training, the quality of the overall squad, the dynamic which is positive following the Grand Slam.
What is interesting is that we come out of a good performance without them.
The group has been in constant progress during the duplicates.
The dynamic started without the internationals.
As the final sprint approaches, Stade Toulousain wants to get back to the front.
“Everyone finds themselves, it is obviously very positive.
Afterwards, it will take a short period of time for everyone to reconnect, to find themselves on the same end-of-season objectives.
I hope it will happen quickly, ”
underlines the Toulouse rear coach.
The internationals are not stupid, they have seen the matches on TV, they know the ranking.
These are boys who find it hard to bear failure
Clement Poitrenaud
And the former international back to continue:
"We don't have the mattress we had in previous seasons
(complicated round of 16 against Ulster, editor's note)
to be able to manage the workforce and the European deadlines which arrive earlier. .
This is a new challenge in terms of group management.
We have no joker for this end of the season.
Victorious in two of their last three games (UBB, MHR), the Toulouse team had managed to stop their black series of five losses in the Top 14.
And, with all of his vital forces, the champion of France and Europe will, once again, cause fear.
The “Slamards” are “
rather in a good state of mind.
They want to find their friends, to play again for Stade Toulousain.
And then, they are not stupid, they have seen the matches on TV, they know the classification.
These are boys who find it difficult to bear failure,
insists Poitrenaud.
We are certain that they will do what is necessary to maintain the team at the highest level.
Watch out for the awakening of the beast.
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