Before the long-awaited derby against Castres Olympique, the Toulouse forwards coach talked about the preparation for this very special match. He also spoke about the doublings, which saw Anthony Jelonch being badly injured and out of action until the end of the season.
This match against Castres will serve as a rehearsal before the round of 16 against the Bulls?
It’s always good, it’s been in the same place for three years. It’s always a match that we play right after the Tournament. He puts us back in the bath of competition after a well-deserved rest.
The context is very different from last year, with a very comfortable lead this year. Does it change your preparation?
We are reaping the fruits of a strategy started last August. We were able to find the right ingredients even if there are always small flats like this match against Toulon. Despite everything, we saw a team that knew how to provoke the game and find its DNA. Last year, we played players who had just achieved the Grand Slam, which will not be the case this Saturday, with one or two exceptions. The players who stayed in Toulouse were able to bring their stone to the building. Before the Tournament, we had a three-point lead and we finished it with eleven. It shows that the team knew how to prove its worth and was able to accentuate our lead in the standings.
Opposite Castres is having a complicated season, do you worry about it?
Of course we care. We know that for this team, beating Toulouse is what can launch their season. We always expect a particular match, which we have struggled to win for several seasons. It’s a test of character there, against a team that beat us in the semi-finals last year and that kept us hanging on to the Stadium for a long time.
Even if you have many absentees, your team seems to know each other well thanks to this period of duplication?
Yes, of course, they played together for two months, we saw them also gain strength physically with a 6 Nations ending with two big games. We hope to recover them with this energy, even if there is a difference in the playing systems. The France team does not play like us, but we know the intelligence of our players to readapt.
Will this lead in the standings change your management of internationals?
We played the game of the France team, we fulfilled our part of the contract I think. Now it’s up to us to reap the fruits of all this work generated over several months for the two final phases that await us. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the international players, and the others, manage to be at their best during this period. This will be done as we progress in the competition.
Do you take into account that the World Cup may already be in the minds of some?
As Ugo (Mola, editor’s note) often repeats: “the high level calls for the high level”. We will continue to play big matches but we will also do what is necessary for them to rest.
As a forwards coach, a word on Thibaud Flament’s performance with the Blues?
Like everyone else, we have seen it a lot in recent weeks. But we weren’t really surprised because he showed great performances with us. He is gaining momentum little by little, he is a player who discovered the high level late but he is able to absorb a lot of information and return it very quickly on the field. This explains his fairly meteoric rise in recent seasons. But he hasn’t finished surprising us yet.
Is what is happening with the Blues beneficial for you?
It’s obvious. The very high intensity matches they experience, Thibaud and the others, where there is very little downtime, allows them to gain experience and that will help us later in the season.
What was your reaction to Anthony Jelonch’s injury?
For my part, a lot of pain, sadness for a player with such generosity that he ended up injuring himself on a tackle to prevent the France team from taking a try. This is unfortunately the harsh reality of the top level. I spoke with him and he is an extremely determined player. He has already started his rehabilitation. He wants to be ready for the World Cup and the mind will play an important role. I felt a convinced player and personally, I think he will succeed in overcoming this ordeal and apply for the France team.
