Toulouse. The Fenix sticks out its tongue, but wants to hang on
Falling off the podium for the first time this season, the Toulouse team is paying a heavy price for their numerous absences. But they have not said their last word.
With only one victory in their last four games, Toulouse have fallen to 4th place in their pool, two points behind leader Martigues. Heavily beaten in Montpellier a week ago (26-33), six days after tripping over the mat at the Sports Palace against Draguignan (23-31), the teammates of Simon Laurent de Valors came down from podium for the first time this season. “As much against Draguignan we were not there, as much against Montpellier I have nothing to reproach the players because we fought with our weapons of the moment”, decrypts Romain Ternel. “And by dint of shooting the same ones it becomes hard”, adds the technical manager of the Toulouse training center.
The latter has never been able to count on a full squad this season with many absences of executive players (Discamps, Didelot, Jargeac, Piovan, Frechou). “It’s a bit of a shame for the group to have come down from the podium, but we’re having a great season and it mustn’t impact them more than that,” said Ternel, who “would have liked to play full more often for see how far we could have gone”.
An affordable calendar
“We may have relaxed a little when we went first, but it’s part of their learning,” also regrets the coach. Authors of a very good first phase (8V, 3D), the Toulouse are still in the nails to do better during this return phase.
Four days from the end, their record is currently four wins, one draw and two defeats. And if they find themselves a little gas, the schedule offered to them is completely within their limits with the reception of the US Crauroise (8th), next Saturday, followed by a trip to the red lantern Saint – Flour (18 losses in 18 games!), before receiving Ajaccio (3rd) and finishing at Villeneuve-Loubet (17 losses in 18 games). “Happy” with the progress made in his first season at the head of the team, Romain Ternel would now like his flock to “reward themselves”. “They worked well, they became”, found in a smile the former center half.