Fenix Toulouse B: ride young!
The Fenix Toulouse training center will start its National 1 season tomorrow at home against Montpellier.
What better than a derby to launch a new adventure? Tomorrow at the Palais des sports, the proteges of Romain Ternel have indeed an appointment with their prestigious neighbor Montpellier. A training center duel which had already animated the whole of the last season, the two teams then engaged in a merciless battle for a place on the podium. The Fenix, who had won at home (26-21) before losing on the return (26-33), had finally finished third with the same number of points as the Héraultais.
For this third round, there will be many new faces on both sides, particularly within a very rejuvenated Fenix after the departures of Mathis Gardent and Pierre Frechou in particular. “A lot of us will discover this level, the intensity, the harshness of the contacts, the long trips and it will undoubtedly take time to adapt”, first warns Simon Laurent de Valors, the captain and manager of the locker room. “I don’t worry too much in the long term because there is quality in our group” reassure the latter very quickly.
Four runs at the end of the season…
In a group which now has fourteen teams (against 12 in previous seasons), and which will condemn the last four to the National 2, it will also be necessary to manage the physical dimension of a season with 26 games. “No one has ever experienced this and it will be an element to take into account for everyone”, wants to believe the goalkeeper.
It will sometimes also be necessary to know how to pass from those who already have a foot in the first team and who will therefore not always be available for the N1 (Firmesse, Piovan, Didelot). “We are going into the unknown a bit because there are a lot of new teams in this group, but the objective is first and foremost to maintain. We will take stock at the break to find out if we can aim higher”, concluded Laurent De Valors. Kick-off imminent…