After two weeks without a match – exempt last week – the Centurions Narbonne, who have taken six points in their last three matches, return to the SpikeLigue (League A) in Touraine this Saturday, November 9 at 8 p.m.
Tours stats. Infographic – The Independent
Tours evil is. Who would have believed it? Champion of France nine times over the last 20 years, five times since 2014, finalist last season, the TVB finds itself at the bottom of the SpikeLigue trailer after the first seven days of this 2024-2025 championship. 12th and penultimate, with Plessis-Robinson as the only pursuer. Robinsonnais are the only victims of Tours since the start of the exercise. It is this obviously sick team that the Centurions Narbonne will meet this Saturday, November 9 (8 p.m.) away. Narbonnais who remain on an excellent dynamic with six points taken during the last three days. The only problem is that last week, the Audois were exempt. Will these two weeks without an official match have cut their legs or rather allowed them to recharge their batteries?
Let us look at the big sick body. What is happening to Tours? Already, we can recall that last season, after an inaugural success against the then promoted Saint-Jean-d’Illac, the TVB had a series of five defeats (Paris, Montpellier, Toulouse, Chaumont and Saint-Nazaire). The condition is not new. Worry a little more this time. Several reasons for this. The general manager of the Centurions Michel Mandrou puts forward some ideas: “The builder, the historic general director of Tours, Pascal Foussard, after 43 years of good and loyal service, retired in the off-season. It is an upheaval for a club. This can partly explain the difficulties of the TVB. And then the observation is simply that the players are not able to evolve at their level. They have great collective weaknesses. However, it is the same coach as last season, Marcelo Fronckowiak…”
The first set will be crucial
And Michel Mandrou even reminds us that this summer Tours lost “very big” with the departure to Tourcoing of the brilliant central Michael Parkinson. Not to mention the serious knee injury to Canadian point guard Ryan Sclater. Also, in 2023, TVB has taken a turn towards youth. Hence, at the time, the recruitment of three players from Narbonne, Julien Faganas (pointer), Luca Ramon (libero) and Alexandre Gabin (passer). Economically, times are tough for everyone…
Narbonne stats. Infographic – The Independent
All this to say that in Tours, Narbonne will have its chance. And the possibility of getting closer to the Top 8 qualifier in the final phase. “The first set will be crucial,” warns Mandrou. “If we win it, Tours will have to handle the pressure.” A pressure that could well suffocate the patient.
