Bayonne Faces injury Concerns Ahead of Toulouse Clash,Jantjies Sidelined for Six Weeks
Bayonne,France – A.S.Bayonne held its first full training session following their 35-32 victory over Toulon on Sunday, but the Ciel et Blanc were visibly depleted with several key players absent as they prepare to host Stade Toulousain this weekend. the team is also dealing with a significant injury blow: South African scrum-half Herschel Jantjies will undergo thumb surgery and is expected to be out of action for approximately six weeks.
Tuesday’s session focused on recovery,but Wednesday’s revealed a number of absences. Prop emerick Setiano was spared from training as part of a managed workload,having previously described a strategy of pacing himself during intense sessions to ensure peak performance on game days. “When there are a lot of races during the sessions, there are certain energy-consuming exercises that I do not do,” Setiano explained last week. “Besides that, indoors, I try to apply myself on small muscle reinforcements, so that my body cashes the blow.“
Young Hugo Gonzalez (20) trained in Setiano’s place, while Pascal Cotet served as a replacement during touch exercises. Vincent Giudicelli rejoined the team for full “rugby” sessions after focusing on individual physical conditioning.
the second row also saw potential shifts, with Arthur Iturria and Ewan Johnson working together, raising the possibility of Johnson starting against Toulouse after appearing as a substitute in Bayonne’s previous two home games. Alexander Moon removed his replacement bib midway through the session.
In the back row, Rob Leota, Alexandre Fischer, and Esteban capilla trained as a unit, while Baptiste Chouzenoux and Rodrigo Bruni were absent.
Positive news arrived with Maxime machenaud’s return to training. The scrum-half, who was injured during the Toulon match, participated in the non-contact portion of the session. However, center Sireli Maqala, who left the Toulon game early after failing a concussion protocol, was not present.
The back three saw Tom Spring and Yohan Orab competing for positions, with Cheikh Tiberghien also missing the session. Competition for wing spots includes Nadir Megdoud, Victor Hannoun, Tom Lévêque, and telmo fisher.
Bayonne will need to navigate these absences as they prepare for a challenging Top 14 fixture against Toulouse.
