Wash away the affront.
It is in this state of mind that the players of Stade Toulousain approach this 2022-2023 season against Bordeaux-Bègles this Sunday (9:05 p.m.) after a previous exercise concluded without the slightest trophy.
Unhappy Top 14 semi-finalists against Castres (24-18 defeat), Ugo Mola's men did not have a better fate in the Champions Cup where their run also ended in the last four, after a heavy defeat at Leinster (40-17).
A significant setback for Stadistes who remained on a particularly prolific 2020-2021 season with a double championship / European Cup.
A workforce often featherless in the heart of winter
The people of Toulouse therefore intend to put the church back in the middle of the pink city.
“In Toulouse, we are not satisfied with two semi-finals”, estimated Romain Ntamack in the columns of 20 Minutes.
“Above all, you have to win the games that matter because if you have a good season and you don't win anything at the end, it's not very interesting.
There is a group of competitors and we will do everything to be there, ”adds Arthur Retière to La Dépêche du midi.
𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 🔥
1st meeting of @top14rugby this season!
Our Stadistes move to Chaban Delmas to challenge the UBB, at 9:05 p.m. ⚔️ #UBBST pic.twitter.com/2VFpU8Ryaa
– Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) September 4, 2022
However, residents of Ernest-Wallon are still facing the same difficulties as last season.
The many international tricolors who fill the ranks of the red and black must leave the ship in winter during the Six Nations tournament and often return physically blunted.
As such, Antoine Dupont, the main offensive weapon of the Stadistes and the XV of France, appeared out of form during the final stages of the Top 14.
And the ambitious transfer window achieved by the Toulouse leaders does not really solve the puzzle.
At the back, Melvyn Jaminet will also be called upon to join Fabien Galthié's group during international matches and it is difficult to imagine Italy depriving themselves of the talented Ange Capuozzo, recruited from Grenoble.
Exchanges with the XV of France
But Ugo Mola, the Toulouse manager, does not intend to relive a copy-paste of last season and claims to have exchanged with the staff of the XV of France to avoid an exodus in the heart of winter and a plummet in the classification.
But the discussions remain stammering for the time being.
“We spoke with the staff of the XV of France and there is a planned rotation, of which I am not a fan, so that we manage to spare our troops.
However, I will not sacrifice the results of the club against anyone and for anything.
But we're thinking about it
."
Read also "I think about it every day": will the World Cup in France in a year weigh on the Top 14?
If Stade Toulousain certainly has one of the loudest squads in the Top 14, it will have to do without several vital forces for the trip to Bordeaux this Sunday.
No less than 12 players are missing, including internationals Cyril Baille, Thibaud Flament and François Cros.
A first day of the championship and already a major challenge for Stadistes in reconquest mode.
