What fly could have possibly bitten the Toulon Rugby club? Who blames the Mignoni gang? Everything was too calm in the harbour, wasn’t it? On the eve of playing their qualification against Harlequins, the week has been hectic.
Season over for Charles Ollivon, unavailability of six to eight weeks for Setariki Tuicuvu, packages of Teddy Baubigny and Leicester Fainga’anuku, the victory against Racing (36-24) was expensive, very expensive.
There is no doubt that this afternoon, before entering the Mayol tunnel, the locker room doors will slam a little louder. “The absent, the injured, it always pisses off, confided Esteban Abadie after the success against Racing. Now we have to play for them.”
A feeling confirmed, at a press conference, by Baptiste Serin: “Charles, “Seta”, Teddy, Leicester, that’s four major injuries. All players are important, okay. But there, we are losing guys from the leadership group. We know that Charles will be away from the field all year. It’s complicated for everyone. The best way to respond is to play for them and all rally around David [Ribbans, le nouveau capitaine, Ndlr].”
“Little team stories”
So yes, on his sofa, Charles Ollivon will surely have a heavy heart. He will be stressed, and inevitably a little disappointed. How not to understand it.
“He is 200% behind the team. Let him rest, physically and mentally. We will need him as soon as he returns”recalled Pierre Mignoni to Var-morningwhile praising the qualities of his captain. “An emblem of the club”to use his words.
If Toulon lost, in the space of a week, four of its warriors, including one for the entire season, its group has tightened, even a little more. Particularly around “little team stories”as Baptiste Serin explains.
Facing Racing 92, Emerick Setiano, a child of the club, celebrated his 150the under the Toulon jersey. Against Harlequins, it will be the turn of Swan Rebbadj and Brian Alainu’uese.
The first, injured in the foot since the play-off lost against La Rochelle, will play his first match of the season. The second, the indestructible Samoan, will take pleasure in eating English. Raw or cooked, it doesn’t matter, it’s meat.
And if these “team moments” are dear to Baptiste Serin, they are also special to Pierre Mignoni: “I like it. I have the impression that there are more and more players celebrating their 50th, 100th, 150th… It shows that the group is stabilizing. Swan and Brian are two soldiers who deserve special attention . We must honor them.”
And what better way to try to (re)make the wounded smile and honor those present than to drive the English out of Toulon? And with great taps of Ribbans, stamps of Isa or with the malice of a Canary, recover this first place in the group, stolen by Glasgow yesterday? Over to you, gentlemen.
