The RCT, thanks in particular to a smooth run in Mayol, placed itself on the podium, behind the highly anticipated Toulouse and UBB. Hidden and discreet, the Varois dream big.
On his return to Toulon, in duo with Franck Azéma, Pierre Mignoni toured all the supporters' clubs. The coach took notes, listened a lot and then produced a clear summary. The RCT family was then fractured by the decline in results and (extra)sporting controversies.
To find the remedy, the former scrum half, raised in the heart of the pot struck by lily of the valley, had made a big priority: reconquering Mayol. He did not hesitate to invite the presidents of supporters' clubs to this century-old building at the height of a crisis, in November 2023. Here, in this stadium so often called the “temple”, next to a military port, Mignoni wanted to restore a strong identity to its RCT and the territory.
Halfway through the championship, for his third season as director of rugby, the person concerned, supported by Bernard Lemaître, Laurent Emmanuelli (sports director) and Jessica Casanova (general director), is on the verge of succeeding in his bet. Toulon, its workforce certainly “less XXL but more united and hardworking” as we say internally, is one of the rare teams still undefeated at home. In six receptions, the Rouge et Noir have already gleaned 32 points. No one does as well in France. But even better, the Serin gang has just scored, in the shade of the white coconut trees, a third improved success, dismissing Bayonne (39-19), Pau (56-25) and therefore Racing 92 (36-24 ). On average, Toulon scored thirty-eight points each time an opponent visited. The pleasure and joy of receiving.
The Top 14 but not only that!
Well placed on the podium, also thanks to away shots in Paris and Perpignan, the Rouge et Noir want to see further, says their guide. “It was important to be in a positive dynamic before what awaits us in January.” Internally, it is an open secret that Bernard Lemaître prefers the piece of wood to the Champions Cup.
However, in a competition which has made the club legendary, all the thinking heads do not want to spoil anything. Appetite, as is customary, comes with eating.
By dint of chewing opponents, the RCT takes a liking to this white bread while keeping an eye out for excess gluttony. “Last week, I told you that we could win everything and lose everything in four weeks. If we lost two games in a row (Toulon must still host La Rochelle at the end of the month, Editor's note), we would come out of the six. It's so close. Now we're going to move on to the Champions Cup. We've played some tough games, we've won them again. repeat but we have high goals. We must keep our feet on the ground and, above all, nourish our progress.” While being satisfied, obviously a little, with the progress made.
