Selevasio Tolofua and Toulouse could not do anything to escape the Montpellier trap, Saturday at the Ernest-Wallon stadium, in Top 14. – Lionel Bonaventure / AFP
- Saturday against Montpellier at Ernest-Wallon (16-29), Stade Toulousain delivered one of its worst performances in years.
- If the Red and Black remain leaders of the Top 14, they worry as the immense European challenge looms among the Irish in Munster on Saturday.
If Ernest-Wallon’s press room had been placed near a field of nettles, they would undoubtedly have torn off some to flog themselves. Coach and Stade Toulousain players beat their ass on Saturday night, immediately after their home defeat against Montpellier (16-29). Indiscipline, clumsy hand or foot, annoyance towards the referee… The still leader of the Top 14 delivered one of his worst performances since the “annus horribilis” 2016-2017, concluded in a pitiful 12th place.
“We really got it wrong,” winger Yoann Huget, captain for a night, whispered. It’s not us at all. It’s a game to forget, there aren’t many but it is part of it. “” We missed a lot of things, humility is part of it, lashed the third row François Cros, far from his usual level, like many others, from Cheslin Kolbe to Charlie Faumuina. Maybe we had our head in Munster. We were not worthy of our jersey. “
Crushed to the ground
Valiant if not brilliant, the Montpellier residents prevented the Toulouse from picking up speed, by outclassing them in the rucks. Annoying before moving to Limerick on Saturday in the round of 16 of the European Cup, among the Irish who are world references in the field. “Ground play, we’ll do a little this week, euphemized Mola. The little Béconnié [n° 8 de Montpellier] had a remarkable game. But without offending him, CJ Stander [troisième ligne du Munster et de l’équipe d’Irlande] not bad either. “
Like Cros, the Toulouse general manager deplored having forgotten the sacrosanct rule of the high level athlete: to take the matches one after the other. “Maybe we had too much head in this eighth, tried Mola. I’m not just talking about the players. We all missed it. And if we miss it like that in Munster, it is not 29 points that we will take. “
With his Blues but without Guitoune in Ireland
In Ireland, the Stadium will recover its Blues Dupont, Ntamack, Aldegheri, Baille and Marchand, showered Friday by Scotland (23-27) at the time of closing the Six Nations Tournament. But he will undoubtedly compose without Sofiane Guitoune, affected in the knee against Montpellier, the day of his 32 years. The center joins an infirmary rich in three-quarters (Ramos, Bonneval, Mallia, Tauzin, Fouyssac…).
The sky suddenly darkened above a team that seemed to have left to fly over the end of the season. “I dare to hope that we had a little head in Munster, slipped Saturday evening Huget, caustic. Thank you to the people of Montpellier for this reminder. If we manage to do something there it will be thanks to that kick in the buttocks. “
Terminus in Limerick?
Cros also thought that he would have to suffer to be good among the painful Munster, who have so often mistreated the Stadium in the European Cup. “The week is going to be less cheerful than it could have been, but in the end it may not be so bad. It is not known if Toulouse will win at Thomond Park, but it seems impossible to be worse than Saturday against Montpellier.