The Autan wind blew strong this Saturday above Ernest-Wallon. Against Racing 92, Stade Toulousain did not really manage to take advantage in the first half, even though they had it at their back, since they only tipped over at the break with a really paltry 8-point lead. in view of its territorial domination (13-5). But everything changed during the second act, when Ugo Mola’s players began to play against this disruptive element which, ultimately, only disturbed the cap wearers in the aisles of the stadium. A paradox ? Not really.
Toulouse is capable of excelling in all weathers, that’s even how we recognize it. Yes, this club which celebrated before the match the Toulouse singer Claude Nougaro, who died twenty years earlier, and after the match its communications officer Lorène Guillot, leaving for new adventures after nine years of good and loyal service, has in some way sort of paid tribute during the meeting to his legendary ability to adapt by correcting Racing 92 in the last forty minutes, despite these hostile gusts which could have punctured his great confidence.
“We are used to playing high-stakes, complicated matches,” explains international second row Thibaud Flament. We always end up tightening up and regaining control at the end because there is no real doubt that sets in. The wind against us didn’t bother us because carrying the ball and playing by hand rather than kicking is more what we’re used to doing. It’s true that we felt comfortable in this game in the second half. »
“When we practice holding the ball and repeating phases of play, we are inevitably less afraid of playing against the wind”
Virgile Lacombe, assistant coach of the Toulouse forwards
The red and black club, which shines in the transition game, then showed that it also knew how to hold the ball for long sequences and thus deprive its opponent of ammunition to reverse the pressure. His conquering melee, his supremacy in rucks and collisions, and his dexterity in the game of hands allowed him to plant four magnificent tries and to fail as many times in the goal for a few centimeters or an opposing hand slipped under the ball. “From the start of the second half, we were able to find solutions in the middle by playing around the rucks,” observes Virgile Lacombe, the assistant coach of the Toulouse forwards. It allowed us to find progress and break the Racing defense. And if we were more comfortable with the headwind, it is perhaps because when we practice holding the ball and repeating phases of play, we are necessarily less afraid of playing against the wind. Sometimes we overuse the game a little by hand. But there, in such circumstances, it didn’t bother us too much. »
Racing, which was undoubtedly hoping for another outcome after having limited the damage in the first period, was unable to resist the orgy of play suddenly unleashed by the reigning French champion. “Against Toulouse, the most important thing to do is not to give them possession,” sighed English manager Stuart Lancaster after the match. Unfortunately, we gave them too much of the ball after half-time. We suffered salvo after salvo, without really succeeding in recovering the ball. We allowed Toulouse to play this rugby in the disorder that he loves so much. That’s what’s very frustrating. »
