Toulouse heading for a rocky start with several key players amiss
With the picks for the latest season of the French Top14 announced, the defending Champions, Toulouse will face Bayonnes without its key assets.
This much-awaited fixture will kick off over the weekend August 26- 27, greeting the latest additions to French Top14, Lyon.
Amongst the players amiss due to the fast approaching Rugby World Cup 2011, there are those like Byron Kelleher and David Skrela, the half-backs, who have left the team. This French encounter is being acknowledged in the world of rugby as difficult for the
defending French champions, Toulouse.
The Toulouse, managed to have the French title, under their belt, for the 18th time after defeating their opponents, Montpellier, in a 15-10 win on June 4, at the Stade in France.
On the other hand, the Lyon’s latest recruits in the squad including Ricky Januarie and Juan Manuel Leguizamon, will aid the team in creeping back to be written in amongst the best in rugby on French soil. This is not too far-fetched an expectation as big
names like Januarie, who recently withdrew from Springboks, as their scrum-half and Manuel, the back-row from Argentina, have a lot to offer to the Lyon’s success in the Top 14.
In addition, the Bayonne has abundantly invested financially in the new recruits, akin to and comparable with Joe Rokocoko, the winger of the All Blacks and Mike Philips, the scrum-half of Wales. The new players will be assets for the Bayonne team, making
them worthy contenders for the tournament.
Stade Francais, the French rugby union club which was previously amongst the best in the French tournament, was facing turbulent times with the question of continuing with the French Top 14 or not. The reason for this crisis was their financial straits.
They have however made a comeback to the French Top 14 by hiring new players. Players like the fullback of Northampton Saints, Bruce Reihana; the fly-half of Argentinean, Felipe Contepomi; the winger of England, Paul Sackey and Byron Kelleher of the All Blacks,
make the Stade eligible for this seasons tournament.
The Perpignan will combat against the Castre, where as the Toulon will be facing the Biarritz, which endows the honour of being the quarter-finalist for the Heikin Cup, on their home soil. The Brive will face the Agen and the Montepiller, who are the last
years’ defeated finalists and will be meeting the Racing Metro Paris in the opening clash.
Although the Top 14 teams look geared to perform during the tournament, their success will be hindered by the fact that a lot of players will be missing out on account of the RWC 2011, as both the tournament’s games will coincide with each other for the
initial eight rounds.
With the major difficulties in the face of the last season’s reigning French title champions, Toulouse are still ready and geared to soldier their way in for French Top 14 2011, despite the clashes with the Rugby World Cup 2011.
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