It is through a very brief press release that the Rugby Club Toulonnais announced today the end of its collaboration with Patrice Collazo, the red and black coach. Under what circumstances did this divorce occur? We give you some answers.
Patrice Collazo: the man of a project
Patrice Collazo arrived in Toulon from the La Rochelle club in 2018 as manager. He was considered the man of a new project. After the period of “galactics” which saw the red and black club dominate Europe for three consecutive seasons, the then president Mourad Boudjellal had definitely wanted to turn the page of star recruits to enter a new era. That of training young people.
the #RCT start the champion factory! Official press release to read here: https://t.co/IWGpW2So93 pic.twitter.com/a9dgQWDRSP
– RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) April 30, 2018
This three-year project provided for the construction of an ultra-modern training center that could accommodate the training of the Toulon club. Mourad Boudjellal’s dream? Win a new Brennus shield with a team made up mainly of young locals, as the Toulon club had done in 1992 with kids like Patrice Tesseire, Yann Delaigue and Yvan Roux.
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But Mourad Boudjellal will not be able to continue the adventure to the end. By opening the capital of the RCT to Bernard Lemaître, a businessman who made his fortune in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, he lost control of the club and resigned in 2020.
The confidence of Bernard Lemaître
Now alone at the helm, Bernard Lemaître places his trust in Patrice Collazo to bring this ambitious project to fruition. The new training center called the RCT Campus comes out of the ground and offers maximum conditions for the collective to express itself at best on the sporting level.
At the head of the first team since 2018, Patrice Collazo has failed twice at the gates of the final stages (9th during the 2018/2019 season and 8th in 2020/2021). And when the results were satisfactory, it was the Covid-19 pandemic that got involved: the 2019/20 season could not be completed when the RCT was in 4th place in the ranking.
The season of all dangers
This season, despite a few bursts of pride which have enabled the club not to sink, such as at Castres (27-16 defeat) or against Racing (20-27 home defeat), the RCT has never shown a total confidence, even to the point of losing to the promoted Perpignan. This defeat sounded like a thunderclap. Certainly the red and black club has a significant number of injured and in particular executives like Baptiste Serin or Charles Ollivon. Mitigating circumstances for Patrice Collazo and which undoubtedly weighed on the choice of president Bernard Lemaître to maintain his confidence in the Toulon manager. But a confidence accompanied by a reprieve of three matches, before drawing conclusions.
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A fearful victory against Brive (13-9), Mayol, and a defeat against Racing (20-27), still in the same arena, placed the RCT in an uncomfortable position, that of relegation. From then on, the trip to La Rochelle became a high-risk encounter for manager Patrice Collazo. By losing 39 to 6, Toulon is now 13th, in a situation of relegation in Pro D2.
Exasperated supporters
Unacceptable for supporters who have pain in their RCT! After a strike of encouragement at Mayol against Brive, Anthony Belleau, the Toulon opener, had advocated union around the club. But too much is too much! The anger and consternation expressed on social networks put Patrice Collazo on hot coals. And the embers were quick to ignite. While the club was preparing the reception of Biarritz this Saturday, a match considered as that of fear between two poorly classified, the ax fell: between the RCT and Patrice Collazo, it’s over!
It was in the middle of the afternoon, this Tuesday, October 26, that the news fell, like a veneer that was a little too strong.
🗞️The @RCTofficial and 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗼 have decided, by mutual agreement, to put an end to their collaboration.
More info 👉 https://t.co/GMS0XOZBQt pic.twitter.com/w578XXki7h
– RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) October 26, 2021
According to the press release, it is “by mutual agreement” that the two parties have decided to put an end to their collaboration. No additional information has filtered, but club president Bernard Lemaître says he will hold a press conference this Friday.
Pending some explanations or even other decisions, the preparation of the meeting against Biarritz has been entrusted to James Coughlan, the defense coach who arrived this season from Brive. Tuesday, October 26, the name of the former manager of Clermont, Franck Azéma, was relayed by the press to take the lead of the first team. Contacted by a journalist from France 3 Côte d’Azur, he indicated that he had no contact with the RCT, and that he had learned of a potential interest from the Toulon club in him through the press.
The RCT has just turned the page on Patrice Collazo, but a few days before an important meeting for the rest of the championship. Does this decision come at the right time? The sequel will tell us.
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