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Top 14 club-by-club 2020/21 season preview: Toulouse
Toulouse have been quiet in the rugby transfer market as head coach Ugo Mola looks to build on his youth dynasty.
Key signing
Alexi Bales. Toulouse have been noticeably quiet in the player market – with their academy production line in full flow, who needs big-name transfers? But, after losing Sebastien Bezy to Clermont, they needed cover for Antoine Dupont. The experienced Bales is a smart signing from La Rochelle.
Key departure
Florian Verhaeghe. Given their youth policy, it seems strange that Toulouse would let 23-year-old lock Florian Verhaeghe go, but he’s heading to Montpellier next season. A mention, too, for Scotland’s Richie Gray, who was there in the tough times.
They say
“We are training to attack [the game] hard in September and be ready because, for us, the objectives, the most important matches, come immediately” Sofiane Guitoune (France Bleu)
We say
Toulouse are not the only side facing a two-step domestic and European start to the season. There are five more Top 14 sides across the two competitions, as well as five Premiership and five Pro14 clubs.
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But they are notable in having set out their Champions Cup stall. After winning the 2019 Top 14 title, and having fallen at the semi-final stage of the Champions Cup at Leinster in the same year, the four-time European champions have their eyes on a prize they last won back in 2012.
Like Clermont, they lost many players to the World Cup. Unlike Clermont, their returning internationals made a noticeable difference, helping drag Toulouse up from 11th when the tournament in Japan finished to seventh when the season ended early. Their 26 points from nine Top 14 games after the World Cup ended compares more-than favourably with the 14 they managed in eight domestic games during it. Only Racing did better.
But Toulouse now have to exceed rugby expectations all the time. The long-forgotten high-tempo power-and-pace game they remastered under Mola needs to be faster, higher and stronger as rivals know now what to expect.
Mola knows that – and he knows exactly where to look for the next crop of players. Home. Toulouse’s academy is back to doing what it does best – churning out talent after talent after talent.
It is noticeable that they have been relatively quiet in the transfer market, bringing in just two senior players – Richie Arnold returns to join brother Rory in the engine room; the experienced Alexi Bales – a smart signing from La Rochelle as cover for Antoine Dupont. But president Didier Lacroix may rue missing out on a season of Alex Lozowski, who signed for Montpellier when the Toulouse path went cold at the height of the pandemic.
The most ambitious signing is probably an academy player. Scrum-half Baptiste Germain is just 19 and appears destined for future senior international honours. This is what Toulouse do now – mould and develop young talent. It’s what they used to do, and what they should always have done.
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There have been some key changes in the staff. Forwards coach Regis Sonnes, whose influence stretched beyond the boundaries of his remit, has been replaced in the coaching set-up by former Toulouse flanker Jean Bouilhou.
Those backroom changes shouldn’t make much difference. This is Mola’s empire – and he’s building for the long haul.
Arrivals
Richie Arnold; Alexi Bales
Departures
Maks Van Dyk; Richie Gray; Florian Verhaeghe; Gillian Galan; Pierre Pages; Sebastien Bezy; Tristan Tedder; Maxime Mermoz; Theo Belan
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments