the essential
While waiting for the second part of the Champions Cup group stage in January, the “red and black” will have to manage their squad during the three days of Top 14 that lie ahead.
Stade Toulousain returns to ordinary. After having scattered Ulster (61-21) then Exeter (64-21) in a jigsaw fashion to begin clearing the road to the final stages – the two best teams in the group stage are guaranteed to reach the semi-finals if they qualify until then – the reigning champion will now return to his daily life for three weeks.
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Between now and the trip to Durban to challenge the Sharks a week before concluding at Ernest-Wallon against Leicester, the “red and black” will have to go to Lyon (Sunday) and La Rochelle (Saturday 4). With, in the middle, the reception between Christmas and the New Year of the Stade Français at the Stadium (Sunday 29). A busy schedule with two trips that were “a little heavy in terms of logistics”, as Ugo Mola noted at Sandy Park after the impressive success against the Chiefs.
Mola: “We don’t ask to be spoiled”
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“We are playing on Sunday evening and Saturday evening before the trip to South Africa,” continued the stadium manager. We know that we are not necessarily spoiled. We don't ask to be, but in any case, we will have to manage. What is certain is that the next five weeks will not be very training weeks. Unfortunately, we will not have the opportunity to do normal weeks. So we will have to adapt a lot in terms of recovery, the presence of the group, the energy of the group. And starting this weekend in Lyon, we will have to find the right balance with our ability to involve our young players. »
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Unsurprisingly in this festive menu, priority will be given to the gala match against the capital club. The other two trips will be used to spare as much as possible the players who gave a lot in November with their selections and these last two weekends in order to maximize the chances of continuing the flawless performance in the Champions Cup. A reality which does not mean that the Stadistes, leaders with seven points ahead of Clermont (3rd), intend to take the matches in Lyon and La Rochelle by storm. “We also don’t have the leisure to be able to let go of anything. So in addition to the reception at the Stade Français, we also want to succeed in our trips to Lyon and La Rochelle,” warned Mola.
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For this, he will be able to count with his staff on the highest confidence within his group even if Thibaud Flament refutes the fact that the Toulouse residents are on cloud nine. “But we're working well, we're working hard and overall we're pretty happy at the moment,” admitted the second row on Sunday in Exeter. With a certain know-how in moving from one competition to another: “We know how to switch, we do it all the time, we're used to it. » Which does not prevent caution: “We will have to quickly get ready for the Top 14 to resume next week. » Enough to no doubt signal the end of open house weekends. Even if with such a Stade Toulousain, we should no longer be surprised by anything…
