This season again, Toulouse has lost a number of internationals. If the club records good news before the reception of Bayonne with the returns of Willis, Roumat, Barassi and Lebel. The club remains deprived of Dupont, Ntamack, Jelonch, Marchand, Baille, Ramos and Jaminet.

During this international window, the Top 14 does not stop and it is often the occasion for the substitutes and the young shoots of the club to grab playing time. But in a team like the Toulouse Stadium, this part of the season is never easy to manage. Last season the club had a series of 4 defeats in 5 games. A slow period which had reason to regret since these lost points would probably allow them to avoid the dams of the final stages.

But this season, we seem to have anticipated the thing in the Toulouse ranks. As manager Ugo Mola has explained since the start of the year: “This season, we are managing to better manage and anticipate things. We have rested practically all our internationals who were not injured, and we can do it, sometimes leaving to take 30 points in La Rochelle as was the case..” Same story with Jean Bouilhou at a press conference who explains that this stage in February was anticipated: “this season, we have prepared the period of doubloons by making people play a lot more, those who would have to have playing time during this period, this is the case for example of Guillaume Cramont“

By counting on its young people, the resting strategy carried out by Ugo Mola and a collective involvement, the people of Toulouse want to give themselves the means to spend the winter serenely.

Duplicates in confidence

With the improved victory against Montpellier last weekend, the club from the pink city offered itself a first major success in this famous period of doubles. A result acquired in the second period, after a first missed act. If the contribution of the bench made the difference, some young shoots like Dimitri Delibes or the hooker Guillaume Cramont confirmed their rise to power.

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For the Australian second line Richie Arnold, this period will take place in a much more serene way in view of the rise in power of his tank: “it’s an opportunity for young players this period, most of them are more experienced than last season, and every week we gain confidence.”

A more experienced group therefore who benefit from the rotation policy to snatch up playing time and approach this period with the most confidence. Like a certain Martin Page-Relo, understudy of Antoine Dupont who, in the absence of the international number 9, starts the meetings as a starter in the scrum, a situation he approaches with as much serenity as possible: “it’s up to me to show that I can assume the position of n°9 in the absence of Antoine, but it’s a challenge that I like.”
After a first victory against Montpellier, Toulouse must now confirm against Bayonne to deal with the continuation of the duplicates as calmly as possible.