French internationals in the stands? No club would allow itself that. None ? Really ? However, a group of diehard Gauls continues to act up. Indeed, Stade Toulousain allows itself to align Thomas Ramos and Julien Marchand on the benchagainst Harlequins.
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Stade Toulousain, rich in titles and players
For the semi-final of the Champions Cup expected at the Stadium this Sunday, the red and black match sheet has more than one Top 14 club salivating. For good reason, most of the replacements would surely start on several of these teams. Even apart from the Blues on the bench, the presence of players such as Richie Arnold or Santiago Chocobares on the edge of the field is enough to turn your head.
This roster depth doesn’t come out of nowhere. At least, that’s what Antoine Dupont said at a press conference before the meeting. According to him, placing such elements on the bench makes it possible to generate a particular dynamic :
If we look at the squad at Stade Toulousain, when they were winning a lot, we see that there were also international substitutes or in the stands. There has always been positive emulation in this club. Everyone wants to get a place in the field, but they are expensive. So, you have to maintain a high level of play to obtain them. This is what is happening in our workforce. As soon as a player is put on the scoresheet, he puts himself at the level of the team, of the group, and that pushes the others to also raise their level.”
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In a rhetoric that is very reminiscent of that of Fabien Galthié and his “finishers”, the captain of Stade Toulousain and the Blues puts his finger on a reality of the Toulouse squad. Apart from certain saturated positions among the Rouge et Noir (hooker, second row and back), this method bears fruit during the doubles and the matches which follow.
A scarecrow hierarchy
Thus, the well-surrounded arrival of players such as Joël Merkler or Mathis Castro-Ferreira on the bench allowed them to blossom brilliantly. In the best case, the most qualitative elements are even thrown directly onto the meadow, without waiting to see them ripen. The successful integration of Paul Costes into the Toulouse XV is a new mark of successlike his friend in the center Pita Ahki was before him.
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Moreover, French internationals do not seem to have priority in the Toulouse hierarchy. Usually a starter in Toulouse and a permanent fixture in the French XV, Thomas Ramos will start the match on the bench against Harlequins.
Another proof of this system, Thibaut Flament is far from being an indisputable player in Toulouse, where he has a series of tenures in the Blues. Since his arrival in Haute-Garonne in 2020, the colossus only starts 60% of the time for the Rouge et Noir. In the Champions Cup, this rate even drops to 47%.
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