Lyon – Stade Toulousain: “François Cros, it’s a bit the same style as me…” The young Léo Banos traces his path without making any noise

One year, to the day, passed between the meeting of the 13th day of Pro D2, which pitted Nevers against Mont-de-Marsan, and the poster between Stade Toulousain and Ulster marking the start of the Champions Cup edition 2024/2025. Established during these two meetings, Léo Banos is the common denominator. “Of course, everything is going very quickly. But we have good support, so it's quite easy to follow the right path and perform well too. Everything is going well for me at the moment”, calmly posed the third row at a press conference on Thursday.

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A change of dimension for the player trained in the Landes. “It's incomparable (laughter). 3-4 years ago, when we lost in the final with Mont-de (in 2022, 20-49 against Bayonne, Editor's note), we played as much as possible. There, it's certain that when we join Toulouse, it's a team that plays… It's pretty much the same, but the players are of better quality, if I can say so. Afterwards, everything is easier here anyway, everything goes faster and we disorient the defenses, so we can express ourselves better,” analyzes Banos.

“I identify a little with François Cros”

Already set on the trip to Lyon this Sunday, the 22-year-old was not much more talkative about his first appearance in the Champions Cup. “It's cool to have played this first match. Afterwards, yes, it goes a little faster, it plays. When you have a team like Toulouse, it's always easier to play at that level”, he preferred to remember from the big victory of the title holders at home (61-21). The rigor and rage to win at Stade Toulousain, number 7, sometimes 6, had already had the opportunity to discover all that at the time of the 2023 World Cup, then during the first months of 2024, when he was loaned by his training club to the “red and black” training.

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But since the start of the new financial year, Léo Banos has seized his chance. “For sure, I played a lot and I'm very happy to have played so much. Afterwards I compensated for François Cros' injury, it's a bit the same style as me, but I'm very happy” he analyzed. Before explaining his words: “François, we call him a bit of a shadow player, I identify myself a bit like that, even if I try to come out of the shadows a little. “It's not easy sometimes when you watch him play, he's easy, clean in everything he does. He's impressive,” he confided, admiring his teammate.

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This evening, as a flanker, Léo Banos will have to take over alongside Anthony Jelonch and Mathis Castro-Ferreira. “We, the youngest, as soon as we play, it's not to have bad away matches. In Lyon, we go there and it's to win”, he explained, determined to keep the throne of the Top 14 before the Christmas holidays. “As soon as I have to play, I give 300% for the team and then we see if the coaches give me the next match,” added the third row with the same idea. For the moment, it's working pretty well.