La Rochelle meets Toulouse this Saturday
Hot in front! Toulouse, the current defending champion, opposes this Saturday the European champions of La Rochelle during the play-offs of the Top 14. A meeting that will mark a milestone.
“I don’t see how we’re not going to meet again in the next two or three seasons in matches that will count.“, had predicted, visionary, the Toulouse coach Ugo Mola last year, between the two victorious finals of his team against La Rochelle in the European Cup and then in the championship.
We meet once again ! The first dam between the last two European champions, that’s what Saturday. It is also a new classic of French rugby. A final before the hour.
Stade Rochelais won its first European title two weeks ago by defeating the Irish from Leinster (24-21), who had crushed Toulouse (40-17) the previous weekend in the semi-finals.
Toulouse and Rochelais meet this time at the play-off stage after having experienced each of their ups and downs since September and had to fight until the last day to secure a place in the top 6.We had a bumpy season: a good start then a few bugs afterwards“, a summary in an interview with AFP of the captain of the Rouge et Noir, Julien Marchand.
For him, despite an ongoing series of six consecutive victories against the Maritimes, Stade Toulousain has “no psychological ascendancy” over his opponent: “Sincerely, on a whole put behind. They are European champions, they are at the bottom. Everything is reset.“
“Ohasn’t been lucky against them lately“, euphemized the winger from La Rochelle and future Toulouse Arthur Retière. Ronan O’Gara’s men arrive at Ernest-Wallon in a very positive dynamic. They have lost only one of their last eleven matches in all competitions. In Toulouse…
La Rochelle, which his team will face on Saturday at 9:05 p.m. in the Top 14 play-off, “didn’t steal his title“European, rewarded Toulouse coach Ugo Mola, appreciative of the work done at the rival.”I’m happy for them because, frankly, they deserve their victory in the European Cup, with a formidable course“, said the Toulouse technician on Friday at a press conference.
“There are not two steps forward and three back as we see in some clubs which regularly distort the championship. They are upstairs, sturdy. And I wish them to last“, he added.”We are a little less efficient than La Rochelle in certain areas of the game“, a recognized Mola.
The work that is done in La Rochelle, the workforce, the one that will arrive next year, the structure of the club for years…. Everything is coherent, supposed, weighed, measured.
Toulouse coach Ugo Mola.
“So we reflect, there are things that inspire us, things that we may not be able to do because we have different weapons“. The Toulouse stadium has won its last six meetings against the Maritimes. The winners will meet next week in Nice in the semi-finals, the teams of Castres and Montpellier.