Toulouse: The benefits of turnover
Emmanuel LANGELLIER, Media365: published on Friday October 14, 2022 at 1:09 p.m.
Since the start of the season, Stade Toulousain has generated a large turnover. Management that is undoubtedly bearing fruit.
Author of a fabulous double Top 14-European Cup in 2021, Stade Toulousain failed last season in both competitions at the semi-final stage. Dominated by Castres Olympique in the French championship (18-24), the club from the Pink City had suffered the relentless law of Leinster (17-40) on the continental scene. Stinging underperformance for the best French club in history (21 French championship titles, 5 European Cups). In order not to reproduce such failures, Stade Toulousain identified the concerns after an in-depth analysis.
Better anticipate by planning a significant turnover from the outset
What comes out of it? The management of the group, solicited by duplicates and international meetings, had failed. “I’m not a fan of the planned rotation, but I can tell you that there is one, over given periods, in order to spare our troops (…) It is obvious that a season at 30 or 35 matches as Antoine (Dupont), Romain (Ntamack) or François (Cros) were able to play would be detrimental ”, admitted manager Ugo Mola at the end of the summer. As a result, the Toulouse staff decided to better anticipate by planning a significant turnover from the outset for this new 2022-23 season.
36 players used in 6 days
Thus, in 6 days of Top 14, Mola used 36 players, none of whom started all the matches against Bordeaux-Bègles (26-25), Toulon (28-8), Pau (16-26), Racing 92 (37-10), Montpellier (19-17) and Clermont (46-10). Stade Toulousain reaps the benefits of this rotation by occupying the top of the standings with 23 points and 6 lengths ahead of its immediate pursuers, Toulon and La Rochelle (17 pts). And this, despite an already busy infirmary and several suspensions (three red cards). With this effective turnover, the executives, who double club and selection, are thus in good shape and fresh. They were entitled to a few holidays like Julien Marchand, Antoine Dupont or Anthony Jelonch, blew by being replaced like Melvyn Jaminet or Romain Ntamack. The workforce also seems more homogeneous while some team compositions are changed by half from one day to another. Young people can calibrate and progress. In short, until then, things are rolling for Toulouse.