Thanks to its six victories in a row in all competitions, Toulon is moving forward.with a smile” and ambitions against the leader of the Top 14, UBB, in the shock of the thirteenth day of the championship on Saturday evening (9:05 p.m.).
The Var club, undefeated since November 2, had not experienced such a long series of successes for two years. A seven in a row would be unheard of for ten years. The sequence allowed him to get back on the Top 14 podium, four points behind leaders UBB and Toulouse, as well as to be first in his group in the Champions Cup.
During this successful end of the year, Toulon was uncompromising at home (14 points out of 15 against Lyon, Bayonne and Pau, a victory against Glasgow in the Champions Cup), but also traveled well, whether in Perpignan (22-13 ) or even in South Africa against the Stormers (24-14).
“There are more smiles at training“, confirmed third row Jules Coulon at a press conference on Friday. We don't necessarily talk about it among ourselves but we have gained trust and it's in the back of our minds.“
Several young shoots integrated into the group
Enough for the trip to Gironde where Toulon has only won once in its last seven trips? “After each victory, it's an eternal start again. A series of successes gives confidence but the players and staff must increase their demands to avoid falling from a height“, warned manager Pierre Mignoni. My role is to ensure that everyone stays connected, it's difficult, but that's why we sometimes have to integrate new players to give new impetus“, he explained.
Young elements are therefore appearing within the professional group to challenge the Union Bordeaux-Bègles. Oliver Cowie (19 years old) and Joé Quere-Karaba (20 years old), one of the revelations of the U20 World Cup last summer, will be traveling unlike international scrum half Baptiste Serin, who is waiting for a happy event. Young Toulonnais took on water during the trip to Toulouse, the club's last setback (57-5) just before the international break.
“I don't envisage defeat“, assured the red and black coach. It will be a great match and an opportunity to see where we stand compared to what is best. It's true that there is euphoria after these victories but we have a crucial month of January where we can lose everything in the European Cup and plummet in the league, so we have to keep our feet on the ground.“
A message also relayed by Jules Coulon in the wake of his trainer: “We don't say to ourselves that we are the kings of the world, far from it. We challenge ourselves each time to do better and continue this series. It remains anecdotal in the end, what matters is to improve the content and to stay on this course of action.“
Fourth away team this season thanks to two victories on the grounds of Stade Français and Perpignan, RC Toulon knows the method to win away from home. The Rade club will be able to rely in particular on its former English internationals David Ribbans and Kyle Sinckler, starters in the three away matches won this season, to try to achieve a seventh victory in a row. A first since May 2014, in the middle of its series of three European Cup victories (2013, 2024, 2015).
