“We have to keep our backs, it’s hard at the moment,” admitted Toulon manager Pierre Mignoni on Sunday after his team’s defeat in Castres (25-17), Sunday at the end of the 15th day of Top 14 “The players have difficulty letting go. Confidence must return,” he said after the RCT’s eighth defeat in ten matches in all competitions. “We have to hang on and stay united among ourselves. We must not panic and react collectively.” “We are not in the best situation currently, but we are not giving up, everything is not to be thrown away this evening,” said Var captain hooker Teddy Baubigny.
“I am frustrated and disappointed, but not worried,” he assured. “We have guys who want to win, who are there for that. And we will bounce back. If we start to give up on the 15th day, it’s going to be long.” This new defeat pushes Toulon down to 6th place in the standings, two points behind their evening tormentor, Castres, who had lost their two previous matches at home.
“Coming home was very important for the team, for confidence, but also for our public. We had to show the values of Olympic Castres at home,” declared Castres manager Jeremy Davidson. “We now have to look for points away from home to be able to stay in the top 6 and be ambitious for the end of the season,” he added.
The Tarn club has “quite a few injuries” to deplore between the third lines Baptiste Delaporte (hip) and Mathieu Babillot, the winger Filipo Nakosi (thigh) and the hooker Pierre Colonna (concussion).
