Three and a half months later, Julien Marchand is back on a rugby field. The hooker suffered from a muscle injury, which occurred during the opening match of the World Cup between France and New Zealand, on September 8 (27-13 victory for the Blues). The Toulousain replaced Peato Mauvaka in the 49th minute, Saturday evening during the reception of Toulon.
In a packed Stadium (33,000 spectators), the 28-year-old participated in his team’s victory (25-17). A satisfaction for him. “There is still work to be done, we need to find lots of landmarks,” he said on Canal +. Apart from the injury, we wanted to clean the knee to get back on a good footing and take advantage of this post-World Cup. »
The reigning French champion relied on a try from Matthis Lebel in the 65th minute to gain a definitive advantage over Pierre Mignoni and his men. Served by a perfect jump from Blair Kinghorn, the three-quarter wing went flat on the left side.
Antoine Dupont and his partners nevertheless showed excitement at the start of the game. Dominated in the scrums and on the touchline, Stade Toulouse redisciplined itself to take control of the match. With a two-point deficit at half-time (12-14), Ugo Mola’s team limited the damage.
The second period was more controlled by Toulouse, in particular thanks to the play at the foot of the Haut-Garonnais and more length found. A penalty from Thomas Ramos even deprived Toulon of a defensive bonus (25-17, 73rd). Enzo Hervé could have brought this precious point to Toulon, but his penalty grazed the post (80th).
Charles Ollivon, Toulon captain, did not hide his disappointment after the match: “It’s the harsh law of sport. We weren’t disciplined enough in the first half. We still have some regrets.”
Thanks to this success, Stade Toulouse is getting closer to its evening opponent in the standings. Ugo Mola’s team, seventh, has 23 points, five lengths behind Toulon, fifth. Valiant Varois, leaving the Stadium empty-handed despite their good performance. Stade Français, winner of La Rochelle, remains leader.
