Toulouse without Barassi, Retière or Mallia, Guitoune uncertain
Toulouse travel to the Irish of Munster for the first day of the Champions Cup (Sunday 11 a.m.). Without several players, still in the infirmary.
Pierre-Louis Barassi, Arthur Retière and Juan Cruz Mallia will not play on Sunday with Toulouse among the Irish of Munster during the first day of the Champions Cup, a match for which Sofiane Guitoune is uncertain, the Toulouse coaching staff announced on Thursday.
“Pierre-Louis Barassi will unfortunately not be available with regard to the K.-O. that he performed (in Lyon on November 27 in Top 14) and we will not take any risks even if in absolute terms, according to the texts, we could make him play“, explained the manager Ugo Mola at a press conference.
Winger or scrum half Arthur Retière, also the victim of a concussion, will miss the trip to Ireland for the same reason after only being allowed to resume training on Thursday, like the international center three-quarters.
Returning from the Argentine selection with damaged shoulders, the versatile three-quarter Juan Cruz Mallia is again spared, but should be able to return next week for the reception of the English from Sale during the 2nd day of the Champions Cup.
Dimitri Delibes on the front of the stage
With limited uncertainty Sofiane Guitoune, ill, Toulouse “ain’t that rich at the center this weekend“, underlined Mola, who can even count in this position on the New Zealander Pita Ahki, back from injury, and on Dimitri Delibes, to his advantage since the start of the season.
“The emergence of Dimitri, who is becoming more and more important in our system, is good news“commented his trainer. “He is a boy who has been working with us for four years now and who is finally revealing his potential, which is still great“.
Mola, however, hinted that another set-up — Thomas Ramos at opener and Romain Ntamack at center? — could not be excluded.
“Maybe you’ll see other players playing center in the near future.“, he said. “The number doesn’t matter to us. We assume that good players should be on the pitch“.