Toulouse. Patrick Duflos: “We will have to be ready right away”
The Toulouse coach takes stock of the preparation of his team and the start of the coming season after the disclosure of the calendar.
Patrick, after three weeks of preparation do you think you are within the expected passage time?
Yes. Everything is going well, really. The guys work hard, extremely hard even. The third and fourth weeks are often the most physically difficult but it is a must. They wear a little because the fatigue accumulates but that’s the goal (he smiles). At the level of the state of mind it is also good: the group responds present, there is a good atmosphere.
The group has evolved a lot during the off-season: have you identified the leaders you rely on, have you supported?
I advanced yes (he smiles). I can’t announce the captain yet because there’s nothing official and I’m waiting for the convicts to validate but one or two players come off. We will announce that when we get closer to the official matches.
Precisely, a first draft of the calendar has just been released. What can you tell us?
You have to be ready right away! We will start with direct competitors during the first five days (the start of the season is scheduled for October 8, editor’s note): we start with a trip to Cambrai, we receive Nice, we go to Poitiers, we receive Sète and we go to Saint Nazaire. We escape the “big” entry but we must not miss because after precisely on will continue with Narbonne, Tours, Montpellier and Chaumont.