Top 14 Preview: Toulouse

The History

With 19 French championships and five Heineken Cups to their name, Stade Toulousain are perhaps the greatest club in rugby history. Having won the first edition of the Heineken Cup in 1996, Toulouse have been involved every year since. In the last six seasons, they have won three French titles and a H Cup. Toulouse have been involved in the last 20 French championship semi-finals. The longevity of their success is phenomenal, and the club plans to persist.

In February 2013 the club opened a state-of-the-art training facility, fully kitted out with gym, video analysis room, recovery areas and much more. The new training centre allows Toulouse to focus on their commitment to developing French players from within. Toulouse are also an integral part of plans to build a ‘Cité du Rugby’ (an interactive museum of world rugby) on the island of Ramier near the centre of the city. With a budget of €35.4 million, Stade Toulousain are still the biggest club in France.

The Setting

The city of Toulouse lies in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the south of France. With a population of over 440,000 la ville rose is the fourth-largest city in the country. Stade Toulousain’s home is the 19,500-capacity Stade Ernest-Wallon. In recent years, the big games have been moved to the 36,000-capacity Stadium Municipal de Toulouse (also on on Ramier Island), but refurbishment for Euro 2016 means the club won’t have access until late 2015, a blow to revenue.

Last Season

Clément Poitrenaud, with the Toulouse forwards in the background. (c) Pierre-Selim.

Toulouse finished the regular season table in third, but were a disappointing 11 points behind second-placed Toulon. That gave Guy Novès’ men a home barrages match, where they dealt with Racing Metro. The semi-final loss to Toulon that followed was crushing for Novès, who questioned the club’s direction and recruitment policy in the aftermath. Toulouse looked threatening, but Toulon’s ability to score points was the only aspect of the game that mattered.

In the Heineken Cup, Toulouse failed to advance from the group stages for the first time since 2007. After dropping into the Challenge Cup, a weakened team was downed by USAP.

Ambitions

After such an unsatisfactory campaign, Toulouse are focused on winning the Top 14. While a Heineken Cup success would be welcome, it is domestically that les Toulousains will concentrate. That focus has seen a slight shift in policy at a club famed for its strong “made in France” playing core. With the doublons (games on the same weekends as international fixtures) still a challenging feature of the Top 14, Novès’ transfer policy this summer was centered on “foreigners of top-quality”. Toulouse lost to Agen (away), USAP (home) and Toulon (away) during the Six Nations last season. Noves is hoping that won’t be repeated.

The Coach

This man is Stade Toulousain. (c) chris_3164.

Born in Toulouse, 259 appearances on the wing for Stade Toulousain and the club’s coach since 1988 in which time he has won 10 French championships and four Heineken Cups; if ever a club was intrinsically tied up with an individual, it is Toulouse with Guy Novès. Searingly intelligent, irrationally angry, optimistic and despairing in differing circumstances, the 59-year-old’s passion for the club is inspirational. There was an unsettling sense that Novès was tiring of the constant challenge last season, a feeling that Toulouse are a force in decline.

However, Novès insists he is ready for the new season, refreshed and motivated. He has called on his French internationals in particular to step up and be counted in the Top 14. Whenever he does decide to retire, it is likely that Novès will finish on a winning note, leaving by the back door without fuss.

Transfer Activity

Capped 14 times for the All Blacks, Hosea Gear is exactly the type of signing Novès wanted. The 29-year-old wing is a powerful finisher coming off the back of a Super Rugby season in which he scored eight tries for the Hurricanes. With Vincent Clerc being nursed back from a knee injury, Gear’s impact will be crucial. Springbok Chiliboy Ralepelle is another big-name addition, although the hooker will only arrive in October after the Rugby Championship. William Servat will hope to retire properly this season.

Gear adds explosive strength out wide. (c) Patrick Subotkiewiez.

Another new signing delayed until October is Jano Vermaak (28). The South African scrumhalf joins from the Bulls to provide competition for Jean-Marc Doussain. Completing the quartet of new top-class foreigners is Joe Tekori, moving from Castres. The explosive Samoan’s ability to cover lock and the back-row will be useful. Novès has brought in two French players in creative outhalf Jean-Pascal Barraque (22) from Biarritz and the athletic flanker Yacouba Camara (19) from Massy. Both are excellent prospects.

Key Players

Thierry Dusautoir is captain and one of the greatest leaders by example. His work-rate in defence often overshadows the excellent work The Dark Destroyer does in attack, freeing up others to do what they do best. Louis Picamoles appreciates the opportunity to carry as often as possible, and at 27 is hitting his prime. The France number eight is simply very difficult to tackle. His powerful hand-off is matched by a high degree of strength in the hips and legs, making low tackles no guarantee. The more he sees of the ball, the better Toulouse are.

Luke McAlister is the premier outhalf in France at his best, but there are days when you have to wonder if he is an outhalf at all. His powerful running can tear teams to shreds, but it is his ability to direct play around the pitch that provides doubts. If Toulouse are going to win the Top 14, McAlister needs a good season. In the centre, Gaël Fickou faces the task of replacing the retired Yannick Jauzion. Still only 19, Fickou has a different style but possesses all the skills needed to make himself the best centre in the league over the next three years.

Fickou must replace a legend of the club in Yannick Jauzion. (c) Pierre-Selim.

In the engine room, the likes of Yoann Maestri, Romain Millo-Chluski, Census Johnston and Gurthrö Steenkamp will be busy getting their hands dirty. At close to 140kg, Johnston is a man mountain but he can play a bit too. At loosehead, Steenkamp will miss the opening rounds due to the Rugby Championship. Maestri is one of the most complete locks in France at 25, while Millo-Chluski (30) and Patricio Albacete do the unglamorous work. Out wide, the likes of Yoann Huget and Clément Poitrenaud offer a suave counter-attacking threat.

Irish Connection

While he’s not strictly involved with Toulouse any longer, Trevor Brennan maintains strong ties with the club. The two-time Heineken Cup winner runs the De Danú bar in Toulouse, which is a must-visit on any rugby trip to la ville rose. There is still a Brennan on the books at Stade Toulousain, in the former Ireland lock’s 14-year-old son Daniel. Already the focus of a Midi Olympique article, the 6ft 2ins, 121kg prop says he would consider playing for France if the opportunity arose. One for the future as Toulouse look to return to the summit of French club rugby.

Possible Starting XV

15. Huget 14. Matanavou, 13. Fritz, 12. Fickou, 11. Gear, 10. McAlister, 9. Doussain, 8. Picamoles, 7. Nyanga, 6. Dusautoir, 5. Maestri, 4. Albacete, 3. Johnston, 2. Ralepelle, 1. Steenkamp

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Photos: Pierre-Selim, chris_3164, Patrick Subotkiewiez.

Top 14 Preview: Racing Metro

The History

Racing Metro 92 was originally founded as an athletics club in 1882. Their list of honours includes five French championships (1892, 1900, 1902, 1959 and 1990), a Pro D2 title (2009), and one Coupe de l’Espérance (1918). For more on the club’s history, including the legendary Le Show Bizz generation, have a read of this article which featured on The Touchline back in February.

The Setting

Part of Jacky Lorenzetti’s ambitious plans for Racing include the building of a brand new stadium in Paris. However, construction work on the 40,000-seater Arena 92 has been continually delayed due to protests and funding issues. It now looks like work will start early in 2014, with the aim of being complete in late 2016. Racing’s current home is the 14,000-capacity Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, known simply as Colombes to local supporters.

While there’s lots of history at Colombes, it is not the most attractive of stadiums, with the running track around the pitch an unwelcome feature. Lorenzetti likes to relocate some of les ciels et blancs home games, their first fixture of this Top 14 season being a prime example. With many Parisians still on holiday in mid-August, the home tie against Brive will be played in La Rochelle. Additionally, Racing’s H Cup fixture against Harlequins in round three will take place in Nantes’ Stade de la Beaujoire.

Last Season

A nine-game winning streak in the second half of the season helped Racing to sixth place in the Top 14 regular season table, before they lost to Toulouse in the play-offs. (c) Emilie Manchon.

Under Gonzalo Quesada les Racingmen had a rocky start to last season, before finishing strongly in sixth to qualify for the barrages phase of the play-offs. The return of outhalf Jonathan Wisniewski at the turn of the year launched Racing on a nine-game winning streak. In the play-off game Racing never truly looked like beating Toulouse, losing 33-19. The Parisians had trouble scoring tries all season, with their total of 32 the third-lowest in the league. The sheer firepower they have brought on board should be enough to remedy that.

Realistically, making assumptions about Racing based on last season would be foolish with so many new players involved, as well as the new coaching team.

Ambitions

Trophies, trophies, trophies. After six years of building the club into Top 14 mainstays under Pierre Berbizier and Quesada, it is time for Racing to start competing for silverware. The Parisians’ budget is now in line with the likes of Toulon and Clermont in the region of €27 million, allowing them to recruit spectacularly this summer. Lorenzetti understands that les deux Laurents need time to combine the ingredients into a championship-winning side, but he will also expect the club to compete in the Top 14 and Heineken Cup this season.

The Coaches

Travers (left) and Labit have not encountered anything approaching failure in their shared coaching career so far. (c) Emilie Manchon.

Laurent Travers was a hooker with Brive when they won the Heineken Cup in 1997, while Laurent Labit was a fullback for Castres’ championship-winning side in 1993. The pair first came together at Montauban in 2004, leading the club from the Pro D2 to H Cup qualification in just four seasons. Castres signed them in 2009 after finishing in 12th the season before. Toto and Lolo‘s impact was superb as they made the play-offs in each of the fours years since, culminating in their shock Top 14 win last season.

The two Laurents have a reputation as being technically excellent and working closely with their players on specific rugby skills rather than simply selecting and motivating the team. Labit and Travers feel they work better as a duo as it allows them to interact with more of the squad on a day-to-day basis, while also giving the players two channels to communicate through. The new Racing coaches are very focused on the power of a strong group, which should work well with such a large number of new players.

Transfer Activity

La Star. (c) Emilie Manchon.

Racing have 15 new players in their squad this season, which is well balanced by the departure of 20. Jonny Sexton is obviously the star signing, but fellow Lions Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate aren’t far behind. Northampton’s propping duo of Brian Mujati and Sione Tonga’uiha are also part of the influx and may be the most important additions of all in a league where the scrum has a near-religious importance. Springbok second-row Juandré Kruger makes up the group of truly high-profile newcomers.

Beyond that, Racing have a new trio of French internationals in Adrien Planté, Marc Andreu and Wenceslas Lauret. Planté won his first two caps in June at the age of 28 after a slow-burning career on the wing for USAP. Andreu may not be the biggest winger, but his low centre of gravity and footwork make him a real try-scoring threat. He was part of Castres’ Top 14 success last season and has scored two tries in six French caps. Lauret joins from Biarritz, where the flanker had lost momentum after winning three international caps.

The remaining six new faces include back-up players like Georgian loosehead prop Davit Khinchagishvili from Brive and fullback Benjamin Lapeyre from Toulon, as well as some youthful promise in scrumhalf Laurent Magnaval.

Key Players

Le Capitaine. (c) Emilie Manchon.

Dimitri Szarzewski is Racing’s captain despite only having joined at the start of last season from neighbours Stade Français. The 30-year-old hooker took over the leadership from Jacques Cronjé during the campaign after impressing with his work-rate and magnificent hair. At fullback, Juan Martín Hernández (31) is not the athlete he once was but ‘El Mago’ still has the vision and creativity that gave him that nickname. He will certainly look forward to playing outside the excellent passing of Sexton.

Scrumhalf Maxime Machenaud had a poor tour for France in New Zealand this summer, but remains important to Racing. The 24-year-old is surprisingly powerful for his size and at his best provides unfussy service to his outhalf. Perhaps the most impressive thing about les ciels et blancs‘ squad this season is its depth, giving the two Laurents the possibility to rotate their team and choose different players for varying tactical approaches.

Fijian no. 8 Sakiusa Matadigo is an intelligent player, whereas ex-captain Cronjé is all brawn. In midfield, Jamie Roberts’ explosiveness can be combined with the defensive leadership of Fabrice Estabenez or the energy of Henry Chavancy. Out wide, Andreu and Planté must compete with the magic feet of Juan Imhoff, the power of Benjamin Fall and the flair of Virimi Vakatawa. Behind Mujati and Tonga’uiha in the propping depth charts are French internationals Eddy Ben Arous and Luc Ducalcon, the experienced Khinchagishvili and one-time Munster man Julian Brugnaut.

Irish Connection

The two lads have this one well under control. Allez Racing! (c) Emilie Manchon.

Sexton is the star attraction at Racing, and he looks made for the challenge. While it is true that French clubs approach play-off games conservatively, the regular season games are generally quite open. That will suit the Irish outhalf, who has so many talented players around him to conduct. As with any high-profile foreign player in France, the expectations on Sexton will be hugely demanding but the 28-year-old’s mental strength will allow him to overcome any teething problems.

Ronan O’Gara appears to be settling into his first coaching job with ease. His primary role is to work on kicking with Racing’s first team, but it is likely that he will also aid Labit in organising the backline. Kicking from hand is one of the weakest skills in the French game currently and O’Gara’s work in Paris will be closely followed by the other Top 14 clubs. For both Irishmen, an exciting and challenging season lies ahead.

Possible Starting XV

15. Hernandez, 14. Fall, 13. Chavancy, 12. Roberts, 11. Andreu, 10. Sexton, 9. Machenaud, 8. Matadigo, 7. Le Roux, 6. Lydiate, 5. Kruger, 4. Van der Merwe, 3. Mujati/Ducalcon, 2. Szarzewski, 1. Tonga’uiha/Ben Arous

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The excellent photos used with this article are all the copyrighted work of Emilie Manchon. You can see more of her photos of Racing on her Flickr page.