About
By Richard Dixon, Editor, The Toulousain
Stade Toulousain first came to the attention of a British TV viewing public through their victory in the inaugural Heineken Cup final (now known as the Investec European Champions Cup) in 1996. They beat Cardiff 21-18 after extra time at the old Arms Park, thus beginning a long tradition in this competition where the organisers manage to gift home advantage to teams in the knockout stages. The Toulouse team that day featured current president Didier Lacroix in the back row, whilst current head coach Ugo Mola was a second-half replacement.
The club had been rising domestically for twenty years before this first European title, perfecting a style of play introduced by former player Pierre Villepreux. As a coach and a former physical education student at the Paul Sabatier university in Toulouse, Villepreux developed his coaching philosophy based on the fairly straightforward principles of 'go forward, support the ball carrier, stay on your feet, and move the ball in the same direction'.
Not rules, just common principles, for all to bear in mind. Teaching these principles is key, producing a style of rugby that is joyous to play and to watch. This style is based on the continuous movement of the ball and the players.
This style remains embedded in the club to this day, throughout all age groups. For many fans of rugby, their first time watching Toulouse is life-changing. Some teams try to play in a similar way.
Notable examples are Bordeaux-Bègles in France, and Northampton in England. Other teams are coached by people with different ideas. That is one of the joys of the sport. Differences provoke debate.
Now that I live in Toulouse, having played rugby in the UK, Japan and France, I can once again see French rugby up close. The Canal Plus subscription is live, there are lots of nearby clubs for live action, and I get to coach young people in the Stade Toulousain's école de rugby and at TOEC TOAC FCT in the west of the city.
Stand by for all the news, stories and analysis from French rugby, including the Top 14, Pro D2 and everywhere else. The Top 14 is the best league in the Northern hemisphere by some distance, and deserves far more extensive English-language coverage than it currently receives. The wait is over.
