The Stadium had not passed a drop of the season. On Friday night, the opener and fullback pulled one off each. Quite a symbol for Christophe Deylaud, expert in the field.
Control, lucidity, pragmatism and even a little insolence. The two drops from Stade Toulousain in the first period sounded like symbols of perfect management, absolute confidence. Two winks, a way to weigh, a way to stun. Two stab wounds. A trick that no longer has the exposure of the time Pierre Albaladejo, who had managed three with the Blues against Ireland in 1960, but which often emerges from the closet during the finals. We remember in particular the decisive one of Laurent Mazas with Biarritz against Agen in 2002 or the two crucial ones of Rémi Tales with Castres against Toulon in 2013.
Christophe Deylaud had planted a capital with the Stadium against Bourgoin, during the apotheosis of 1997 (12-6). He smiled when he saw Thomas Ramos and Cheslin Kolbe resurrect a specialty he has long embodied: “It’s a weapon you have to know how to use in this kind of match. It can be prepared or instinctive.”
Deylaud: “An instinctive or prepared weapon”
The one drawn by Thomas Ramos, very early (9) 35 meters facing the poles is part of the first category according to the former international (56 years old, 16 capes): “We feel that everything is programmed, everything is fixed, Antoine ( Dupont) looks for him immediately “. The combination was also dictated by the situation, however specified the usual rear, shifted yesterday to the opening to compensate for the absence of Romain Ntamack: “It’s improvisation. We work them a bit on the training but from there to hit it in a match, that’s not really our philosophy. But when the opportunities arise in the final, you have to take them. Until then, the Toulousain had only managed one in his career, with the Stadium, in a draw in Lyon in August 2018 (16-16).
And then, there was the drop of the rascal of Cheslin Kolbe, unexpected, suddenly therefore assassin, a little in the spirit of that Thomas Castaignède with the French team against the English (15-12) during the 1996 Tournament. This time, not the last action of the match, just the last period. Ugo Mola, the day before, had felt the blow while his genius remained on 12 matches without scoring… test: “The great players are used to existing in the finals”.
Nobody would have imagined that the South African could attempt this blow, from so far (50 meters), à la François Steyn. Never the Springbok Zébulon had managed a drop in ten career seasons, neither in club, nor in selection, perhaps not even in his garden. He did not however surprise Christophe Deylaud: “It is typically a drop in the final, which does not eat bread. He passes it, he puts a big blow on the head of La Rochelle; he misses it, Toulouse turns at 9-0 quietly. This is a sign of enormous confidence. In the 60th minute, with a narrower score, Cheslin would probably not have taken this option, for fear of being countered, for example. . “
Christophe Deylaud, for his part, has never been afraid for the jersey he has worn so well (1991-99): “Everyone saw La Rochelle, a lot of media, some coaches, like Urios. I haven’t digested it. When you meet the Stadium, you remain humble. The team that spoke the least won. And the Stadium was definitely the best of the season ”. Two drops, no flop.
Cyril Pomero
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