Who is stronger, the bull or the shark?
Certainly, the challenge that awaits Stade Toulousain, this Saturday (4 p.m.), against the Durban Sharks will be much more serious than that against the Pretoria Bulls, beaten 33-9, without really forcing, last Sunday at the Stadium.
The two South African franchises do not evolve at the same level and Jake White, the coach of the Bulls, had pointed out: his team only has two internationals when the Sharks arrive with a garrison of first-rate Springboks, crowned world champions: captain Siya Kolisi (future Racing 92 player), arrows Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, hooker Bongi Mbonambi... Only Eben Etzebeth, recently passed by RC Toulon, and Jaden Hendrikse are missing .
"It's almost the South African team that we will face,"
warns the left pillar of the Blues, Cyril Baille.
The battle promises to be fierce at Ernest-Wallon.
The demonstration of the Durban players against Munster (55-35), in the round of 16, marked the spirits.
Rarely have Cork players, accustomed to (inter)continental games, been beaten in this way.
"They scored on balls carried while sprinting
," worried manager Ugo Mola.
Read alsoRugby: injured against Munster, South African Etzebeth could be out for 14 weeks
“That's what they tipped the game
(against Munster).
The front eight will have to be involved in this fight,
continues Cyril Baille
.
We also saw that they have a very big scrum, with Thomas du Toit who passed by here
(as a joker during the 2019 World Cup, editor's note).
Their scrum is dominating in the last matches.
“The big fight is in their DNA”
“We expect a big fight, it's in their DNA, they like it and they like it. But they also have individualities that go quickly behind
,” insists international scrum-half Antoine Dupont.
And his manager added:
“One of the particularities of the Sharks is that they have a wider range of play
(than the Bulls).
We saw it in their ability to score against Munster, but also during their two confrontations against Bordeaux-Bègles and Harlequins.
Read alsoChampions Cup: the Toulousain Flament holder in the 3rd row, Marchand replacing against the Sharks
Of the three South African provinces (with the Stormers and the Bulls) engaged for the first time in the Champions Cup this season, the Sharks are the only ones to have won in France during the group stage.
Kolisi's troops had indeed gone to win on the lawn of Bordeaux-Bègles (16-19), when the Stormers had fallen in Clermont (24-14) and the Bulls in Lyon (31-7).
“It's been a long time since we had to prepare for this kind of meeting,
recognizes Ugo Mola.
They have this ability to put their opponents under pressure with this excessive physical presence.
And then it's a team that plays rugby very well with a lot of speed behind.
French and Springboks could meet in the quarter-finals of the World Cup
Almost five months away from the World Cup in France, this clash in the Champions Cup will, given the number of internationals present on both sides, sound like France-South Africa before its time.
Last year, the Blues bent the reigning world champions (30-26) at the Stade Vélodrome.
And the two teams could meet again in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, if one finishes first in its group and the other second.
“Going to France will give us an idea of what a match against a host country or a French team on their ground is like.
We will be able to feel the weight of the public”
, recognized the three-quarter center South African Lukhanyo Am, named in 2022 for the title of best player in the world (won by the Irishman Josh van der Flier).
Read alsoChampions Cup: why the Sharks are a serious threat to Stade Toulousain
The victory against the UBB
“gave us confidence,
continues the Springbok with 31 selections.
But that was early in the season and now it's a pressured, playoff game away from home.
But I think our team is used to traveling well and going to Toulouse to play this quarter-final will be a big challenge for us.
Same excitement on the side of Antoine Dupont:
“It's always fun to have to play big matches like that, against the best.
These are players who know the very high level.
The South African team has been playing the leading roles at international level for 4-5 years.
A real test for Stade Toulousain,
XV of France: all the jerseys of the Blues at the World Cup
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