Interviewed in Nice,
To discover
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Schedule and Top 14 results
Ranking Top 14
Favorite Toulouse or not?
“We can have the number of internationals we want, it's still a rugby match.
Honestly, that means nothing at all.
Castres finished first of the season, they had a very good season.
Whether in front, with a pack of ultra-conquering and aggressive forwards, or behind, where they have a very nice three-quarter line.
They finish first.
Everyone will say what they want, but we don't make ourselves favorites.
Afterwards, everything will be called into question.
But Castres remains a very good team, we respect them a lot.
What has changed in a year
“Everyone knows it, there will be an audience, supporters, that's what's most interesting when you play rugby.
We are always very happy when there are people in the stadiums.
Coming to the stadiums when there were 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 people … There, a full stadium, that fills us with joy.
Read alsoTop 14: the anti-Dupont de Castres plan?
“Make him eat a Buitoni pizza…”
high temperatures
"Honestly, it's been two, three weekends where we are used to it.
Our match in Biarritz, it was also very hot.
Against La Rochelle, too.
So it's not really a question that we ask ourselves.
We've been used to playing with the heat for a few weeks.
This is the case for all teams.
We just learned to train with these heats.
The notion of a derby against Castres
“Toulouse-Castres, it is still a derby of course.
But there, it's something else, it's a semi-final.
It remains a rugby match but there is always this little peculiarity between the two teams.
“You just have to be motivated and have this boost of mental energy in your head.
»
Julien Marchand
Pierre-Henry Broncan, a former Stade Toulousain
“It doesn't change anything at all.
He had a good time in Toulouse (
defense coach between 2015 and 2018, editor's note
).
It was nice for us too.
Now he is in Castres, I don't think that changes anything for the players or for the staff..."
An extended season for the internationals
“The rules, we know them at the start of the season.
We know that we may have to play a lot of matches.
And so much the better, that's part of the thing.
We don't complain about playing matches of such intensity.
Afterwards, when we reach the semi-finals, we find freshness in training with the motivation of this great challenge that is a semi-final.
We can only be motivated and have this boost of mental energy in our heads.
I hope it will be transmitted to the body…”
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