It’s a bit of a rich person’s choice. Which team could afford to place Thomas Ramos on the substitutes bench? It is only in Toulouse that we see a French XV executive like him not starting a Champions Cup semi-final. And as announced by our colleagues from The Teamthe 28-year-old would regain this same status next Saturday in the final, for the most important match of the Toulouse season against Leinster.
“Coaches with lots of options are happy coaches. Those who don’t have one make do with what they have. It’s true that in this position, we have people. But the season is so long that we rarely have everyone“, already explained his coach Ugo Mola, who had chosen to start Blair Kinghorn at the back against Exeter in the quarter-finals. Incidentally, the coach would also have to do without Ange Capuozzo for the trip to London, it is say the quality of the French champion’s breeding ground.
A priori, there is no problem between Ramos and his coach. This does not mean that the back of the Blues (36 caps) is satisfied with the situation. “I felt a lot of frustration not to start a match of this importance. Every rugby player dreams of starting in the Champions Cup semi-final at home, at the Stadium, in front of 35,000 people“, he detailed to our colleagues at Olympic Midday. A manager in the same way as Romain Ntamack or Antoine Dupont, Ramos has clearly not been used to polishing the bench since 2018. And even despite the competition, like Melvyn Jaminet who broke his teeth last season last.
Not a replacement like the others
Should we talk about downgrading regarding the status of the former Colomiers player? This seems quite delicate, already because Ugo Mola continues to praise the qualities of his rear in whom he trusts. But also because the Toulouse season is long, dense and requires careful management of organisms. Blair Kinghorn is a man of this Champions Cup since he (brilliantly) started all Champions Cup matches with the number 15 on his back. This does not mean that the Scot will be as important during the Top 14 final stages.
Ramos and Kinghorn with Toulouse.
Credit: Imago
Ramos did not count his hours at the start of the season, to also compensate for the absence of Romain Ntamack at the opening. Since then, the 25-year-old has continued and logically recovered the position in which he is the specialist. Even on the bench at the start of a match, Ramos benefits from a versatility which makes him essential and valuable. He is not a substitute like the others and took care of his entries against Exeter (57th) and Harlequins (55th).
“It was hard to take at the time. But that’s how it is, it’s high-level sport, remembered the back of the Stade Toulouse. I knew that I was going to come on and that, as always, the substitutes would have an important role to play. I tried to focus on that and ignore my personal disappointment.She”. Regardless of his status against Leinster, this competitor will push to lift the trophy in the end.
