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Can Lyon bring down the ogre Toulouse?

Third in the standings before the 7th day, the Rhone hosts this Sunday the Toulouse leaders. A real test for the LOU who wants to confirm his current regain of form.

Last weekend, the Lyonnais hit hard by winning with force and control on the lawn of Biarritz Olympique (5-40), which had however managed to bring down in Aguiléra the UBB and Racing 92 then a long time jostled Toulouse. There, the Basques were overtaken, they could not do anything against the men of Pierre Mignoni, authors of six tests. “It was a beautiful accounting afternoon and also in terms of rugby, appreciated the Lyon manager. VS‘was important to put things back in order. ” LOU had to react and recover after the frustrating defeats against Racing 92, Section Pau and Union Bordeaux-Bègles. And he did it brilliantly.

All while turning its workforce widely. Winning coaching. “I am happy. I had made changes, yes, but we have to change a course. Regardless of the players lined up, whether we are performing well on the field. I try to have a coherent rotation, so that no one feels settled in, we had suffered from that in previous seasons ”, continues Mignoni, who used 36 players in six days and has to deal with the injuries of several executives (Bastareaud, Geraci, Ngatai, Barassi, Nakaitaci…). And the flagship rookie, former All Black, Lima Sopoaga, has yet to debut in his new colors. “There is no established hierarchy, insists the Lyon manager. The best play, including the youngest as was the case in Biarritz for Parisien and Charcosset. It is the same for all positions and for everyone. Point bar! “

5 bonuses won in 6 days

Despite their three losses in six days, the LOU are the most eye-catching team in the Top 14, as evidenced by the three defensive bonus points they have earned. Proof that the Rhone – who have conceded only 19 tries, the lowest total of the elite – are never really dropped and that they can also let go of the horses in attack (two offensive bonuses). By way of comparison, Racing 92 did not glean any bonus in six outings, before this 7th day.

The Toulousains, until then undefeated, know that they are passing a very big test in Lyon. As evidenced by stadion hooker Julien Marchand (26 years old) who will cross the road of his little brother Guillaume (23), who left to harden himself in the City of Gauls. “I watch them a little more now that my brother plays there and I can say that they are a very big team, confided the number 2 of the Blues to AFP. They are having a remarkable start to the season, never letting go. On our side, there are always adjustments to be found, full of small imperfections that we must try to erase over the matches. “

We must not only reproduce what we did in Biarritz, but do better

Pierre Mignoni

Carried by a decisive hinge made up of Baptiste Couilloud (top scorer in the Top 14, 5 tries) and Léo Berdeu (best director, 70 pts), the LOU can strike a blow and confirm its rise in power. But Pierre Mignoni wants to play down the event. “We want to create importance in each game. The reception from Toulouse is no more important than the trip to Biarritz, or the next trip to Paris next week. It’s important to understand it, he explained in Olympic noon. Playing Toulouse is always a difficult game. We know their quality, their ability to do amazing things. But we focus on ourselves. ”

And to erase the small erasures noted on the copy facing the BO: these 14 penalties conceded and these 3 balls lost in touch. Since the start of the year, the Rhone club has shown character on several occasions. It is now necessary to install and maintain the beautiful dynamic, like the one which had allowed the LOU to climb twice in the semi-finals of the Top 14 in 2018 and 2019. The Covid period has somewhat stopped this good momentum. The demanded Pierre Mignoni ensures that his troops are constantly mobilized: “We must not only reproduce what we did in Biarritz, but do better.” To hope to bring down the reigning French and European champion. Like last year, where the LOU had won twice, in the outward and in the return, against Stade Toulousain.

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