A little over a week before the resumption of the Top 14, and after a week of training in Loudenvielle in the Hautes-Pyrénées last week, the Stade vintage 2023 will be tested for the first time on Thursday evening. The Red and Black play a friendly match in Toulon, at 7:30 p.m.. A good poster and an expected friendly match because it will be the only one before the resumption of the Top 14 on Sunday September 4 in Bordeaux.
As a reminder, Toulouse finished 4th in the regular phase of the Top 14 last season before losing in the semi-final against Castres, and Toulon 8th. But the Toulonnais beat Stade in April, 19-15, at the Vélodrome. And Toulouse will receive Toulon from September 11 in the league. So, what are Toulouse’s goals this season? The response of the high-level manager Jerome Cazalbou.
“We have a group of competitors. There is no reason why their motivation should not be increased tenfold because indeed we were the defending champions. So now it’s the first matches that will clearly determine whether we are in the nails or not. Knowing that well, there are still more and more opponents who also want to win titles, whether in the European Cup or in the league. And that’s what Another beauty of our championship is that there are more and more contenders and that’s good.”
The good influence or not of the Mondial
The stakes will be even higher this season for Toulouse, to try to regain their titles (Top 14 and European Cup) and because there will be behind the World Cup in France. For the rugby consultant of France Blue OccitaniaPhilippe Gleyze, this big deadline is likely to have different influences depending on the team’s players, with advantages and disadvantages.
“It’s going to be the time when we’re going to fix the little sores for the best players, for those who are sure to be at the 2023 World Cup. So those who need to have surgery for this or that recurring problem will do so. The best players will hardly be at 100% during this season, even if we know very well that they will not cheat of course. Afterwards, in terms of good news, there will be the recruits who will give everything to show to the staff that he was right to position his choice on them. And there are also those who will want to show up for the World Cup because they are not sure of being there.
The Top 14 final is scheduled for June 17 at the Stade de France. The Rugby World Cup will take place in France from September 8 to October 28, 2023.