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La première campagne européenne de l'histoire du club sans Guy Novès débute samedi sur la pelouse des Saracens (18h30). Pas une première facile pour Ugo Mola
Toulouse begin a new era against Saracens this weekend, but Maxime Medard has vowed their European Rugby Champions Cup ambitions will remain the same.
The Pool 1 clash against Aviva Premiership champions Saracens will mark the first time the French club have played a European fixture without Guy Noves at the helm.
The former head coach has moved on after 22 years and four European titles to take over as boss of the French national team, with former full-back Ugo Mola assuming control.
It will add some extra intrigue at Allianz Park on Saturday, but Medard is confident the switch will be seamless as Les Rouge et Noir being their tilt at continental glory.
“The values, fundamentals and ambitions are the same as they have always been. We must be able to mix up our game, we have to make sure we do the basics well and after that we can look to play,” he said.
“It's been an easy transition. We have a lot of the same players as last season and we have not changed the Toulouse game plan. We are playing as we have done for a long time. We put the fundamentals in place and build from there.”
Toulouse were drawn in the same pool as Saracens two seasons ago, with the French side winning both meetings, including a tense clash at Wembley.
Saracens boss Mark McCall knows just how tough a test the visitors will prove, and the importance of getting off to a good start in the competition.
“The lesson that all the teams have learned really is that you have to pick up every point you can when it is available,” he said.
“Last year we qualified as the eighth placed team but we got that by virtue of a losing bonus point that we got away from home and you have just got to fight for every point in the competition.
“We play Toulouse first up at Allianz Park and they are a great European team with a great European pedigree, but also playing very well this season.
“They have won six games out of seven in the Top 14 already this season and they beat Montpellier in Montpellier so that shows you they can win away from home as well.”
Match Facts
- The last time Saracens failed to make the quarter finals was in 2010/11, when they were also drawn against two French teams in the pool stages.
- Saracens have won 18 of their last 24 pool matches, but only one of their last four pool games against French teams.
- Saracens have won 12 of their last 14 home matches in the competition (L2), although their two defeats in that run came against French opposition.
- Toulouse have played 144 Champions Cup games yet have never lost more than three consecutive matches, should they lose to Saracens it will equal that three-game losing streak for just the second time in their history.
- Despite this, Toulouse have won seven of their last 10 matches in the competition.
- The French side have also won four of their last six against English opponents in the Champions Cup.
Pour le premier match de son histoire sans Guy Novès
Saracens got their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign off to a fine start with a comprehensive 32-7 win over Pool 1 rivals Toulouse at Allianz Park.
The Aviva Premiership champions were in control from the off and a brace of tries from American wing Chris Wyles, plus a score from prop Mako Vunipola and 17 points from the boot of fly-half Owen Farrell secured victory.
Toulouse, playing in incredibly difficult circumstances less than 24 hours after the terror attacks on Paris with the French nation in mourning, got a consolation try through replacement hooker Christopher Tolofua, converted by scrum-half Nicolas Bezy.
After a perfectly observed minute’s silence in respect to those affected by the terrible events in the French capital, Saracens got off to a fast start.
Farrell kicked two early penalties as Saracens played with a healthy wind behind them and dominated territory with an accurate and disciplined kicking game.
Toulouse were finding it hard to get out of their own half and they conceded the opening try when Vunipola’s pass sent Farrell scampering through a gap, with the prop driving over a couple of phases later.
Farrell added the extras and quickly added another penalty to pad the lead out to 16-0. Saracens were in complete control and they should have had a second try when Alex Goode countered from deep and linked up with centre Duncan Taylor, only for the Scotland centre to run out of support.
However, Toulouse infringed and Farrell kicked his fourth penalty. The fifth was not long in coming when Toulouse tighthead Census Johnston was sin-binned for persistent offending at the scrum.
It had been a superb opening 40 minutes from the hosts and they rounded it off in fine fashion when they capitalised on a Toulouse handling error and worked the space for Wyles to crash over in the corner to make it 27-0 at the break.
Even with the wind at their back, Toulouse knew they needed to score first after the break, but instead it was Saracens who got over the tryline.
Bezy’s loose pass after fielding a kick was seized upon by Brad Barritt and, while the French side scrambled bravely in defence, they could not prevent Wyles getting the ball down to extend the home side’s lead.
To their credit, Toulouse hit back as Yoann Mastri carried them up to the line and Tolofua was the man to dot the ball down under the gaze of referee George Clancy.
Saracens pressed for a fourth try and a bonus point but were held out by Toulouse. The English side top the standings with the other scheduled Pool 1 fixture between Oyonnax and Ulster having been postponed in the wake of the events in Paris.
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