Stade Toulousain: plutôt Cardiff que Bordeaux-Bègles, sauf si le Covid…
Toulouse want to prioritize the European Cup match against Cardiff, rather than the Top 14 match against Bordeaux. But the Welsh club are stuck in South Africa.
The Jacques Chaban-Delmas stadium has been selling ticket offices for several days already. But the poster against Toulouse, scheduled for Saturday and called to become a classic of the final stages is unlikely to bring together all the forces of the two clubs. If Stade Toulousain has already given a week of vacation to the majority of its internationals, it should once again present a rather mixed face for the great South West derby. And for good reason, the priority target is the match of the following week in Cardiff for the first day of the European Cup. For several reasons. Because the “red and black” club has been creating a particular history since 1996 and the creation of the event, with this competition of which it is the record holder and the current tenant of the title. And because the new formula since last season does not allow the ignition to be delayed (only two opponents in two-way matches, or four games). And finally, because the accounting situation of the Toulouse club (10 points ahead of the third; 16 on the seventh and first unqualified) already allows it to consider an umpteenth qualification for the final stages.
Therefore, the Toulouse staff should manage this championship meeting, which is above all a revenge for the Bordeaux club beaten five times last season, depending on the state of form and the first possible cases of Covid in order to keep all the vital forces and to put all the chances on his side for the first meeting in Wales. Provided … that the match takes place. Because the Covid is back and the South African variant is already having an impact on the European Cup. For those who have not followed, a new championship (the United Rugby Championship) now Scottish, Welsh, Italian, Irish and South African clubs. And the Welsh from Cardiff as well as the Irish from Munster were in South Africa yesterday. The two teams were unable to leave South Africa, after positive cases for Covid-19 in their teams. “Cardiff Rugby is unable to leave South Africa after two positive Covid-19 cases, including one suspected of being the new Omicron variant. The group hoped to leave Cape Town this afternoon but PCR tests carried out last night revealed two positive cases, ”the Welsh club tweeted yesterday. Will the Welsh be stranded in South Africa? Will they have to respect a quarantine? The equations with several unknowns start again.