Despite last season’s European Cup-championship double, “the desire is still there” at Stade Toulousain, international winger Matthis Lebel assured AFP ahead of an unprecedented trip to Vannes on Sunday to close the first day of the Top 14.
QUESTION: How do you find the motivation to start a new season knowing that it won’t be possible to do better than the previous one?
ANSWER: “We all came back with a smile on our face. The desire is still there. The desire to go and get more great things, to continue writing our story… The motivation comes naturally because we are lucky to have a very competitive group, with strong characters. There is also a great emulation with the young people who are coming up.”
Q: Is the pleasure still the same after the two Champions Cups and four Brennus Shields won since 2019?
A: “There are siblings in the team, lots of stories of friendship, players who have followed each other since they were little. We don’t want it to stop. Fun is really an integral part of our group. We never get tired of the guys who are here, of being among ourselves, of laughing… Maybe that’s the secret in the end. We’ll do the math much later, but there is a positive energy in this group.”
Q: Do you assume your status as huge favorites for this new season?
A: “It’s nice and flattering of everyone, but we have to be very vigilant. We mustn’t let ourselves fall asleep and think that all it takes is to put on the jersey. We know that we’re going to be expected at every match, that for our opponents the motivation will be even greater to face Stade Toulousain. All the Top 14 clubs are working hard and arming themselves to be able to go as far as possible in one or two competitions. There are some extremely intelligent recruits in several teams.”
Q: Like the last one-sided final against Bordeaux-Bègles (59-3), you still seem to have a certain margin on the competition…
A: “The coaches are doing a great job so that we can respond to all the problems that we may be asked during matches. We must continue to cultivate it every day in training, to keep this confidence and this bond between us. To say that we are the only ones would be a delusion. On the other hand, having confidence in ourselves and wanting to continue to do our little bit of work, we have the right to say that.”
Q: On a personal level, do you have the ambition to win your place in the French team, with which you only played one match last season after missing the World Cup?
A: “We’re going to do things in order and try to start the season as well as possible. Before thinking about the French team, club performances are the most important. Those are the ones that are judged. There’s already a huge emulation within the club. I was injured (in the back) at the end of the season. So we’ll have to get going again, keep going and have as much fun as possible. Afterwards, if the performances are there, why not go and see what’s happening a little higher up. But that’s not my responsibility.”
Q: What status do you have today within this Toulouse team?
A: “I don’t think I’m the young guy who’s just coming up anymore. I’ve been lucky enough to be in the group for seven years now. The relationship with the coaches has already changed, with a certain possibility of speaking. Afterwards, players like Antoine Dupont, Julien Marchand, Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack have an aura over the group that no longer needs to be proven. Let’s say that there are executives, but also the executives of the executives, who are well represented (smile).”
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