the essential
Several players from the “rouge et noir”, including Antoine Dupont, took a stand against the new formula of the European Cup. The organizer replied to them.
Since the start of the competition, Stade Toulousain has not hesitated to be critical of the new format of the Champions Cup. By taking 19 of the 20 possible points, the Haut-Garonne club only positioned itself in fifth place overall in the Champions Cup group stage, even though it had recorded the second best record. Enough to arouse incomprehension among the people of Toulouse and in particular among Antoine Dupont, who admitted to having “trouble finding the logic” of the competition.
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This Tuesday, the EPCR responded to these criticisms in the columns of Actu Rugby. “It is regrettable that the second best team in points finishes fifth in the general classification but it also shows the importance for teams to maximize their points at each match, defended the body. This system values the regularity and importance of each match, emphasizing that each group match counts.
The integration of the South African teams: “a real success”
If Stade Toulousain finished “only” fifth, it is because it finished second in a very tough group 1, behind UBB. The fault lies in a draw carried out without a hat, during which Toulouse did not benefit from a convincing advantage, despite its status as champion of Europe and France. From Actu Rugby, the EPCR justifies itself: “The previous format was often criticized because the better ranked clubs found themselves in easier groups, making their path to the final stages easier. The current random draw makes the competition more unpredictable and fair.”
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Last element in the sights of Toulouse: the presence and involvement of South African clubs in the European Cup, while none of them qualified for the round of 16. On this point, the European rugby body praises the “real sporting and commercial success” of the integration of the South African teams, recalling in passing that the Sharks won the Challenge Cup last year.
France
