Lyon (AFP)

Two French internationals and two U-20 world champions: the LOU team is becoming more and more at the top, thanks to the results of a club that wants to go even further.

Pierre-Louis Barassi floundering in the in-goal after a breakthrough scrum half Baptiste Couilloud: as a symbol last Saturday against Montpellier (21-16), two young local shoots were at the conclusion of the first test Lyon, who will challenge Clermont Sunday in the semi-finals of the Top 14.

If the club, centenary, has always relied on training, it now out players of another caliber.

Romain Loursac or Christian Njewel have succeeded Couilloud and Félix Lambey, international, the 2018 world champions under 20 Barassi - arrived from Narbonne at 18 - and Adrien Séguret, or Dylan Cretin, the impressive progression.

Quentin Delord and Ethan Dumortier are currently competing in the U-20 World Championship in Argentina.

The result first of a change of course made about five years ago, when the LOU (Lyon Olympic University) knocked on the door of the elite. "We thought: + we want a top 14+ club training center, so we've released more Pro D2 players, we've been more selective, the fruits are starting to fall", says to AFP Stéphane Véré, director of the training center.

But still it is necessary to attract the best and keep them, which the club did not manage to do a few years ago when, for example, Antoine Guillamon or Rémy Grosso had left the nest.

- The new Bourgoin -

He now succeeds in the first place thanks to his results: the LOU is now the dominant club in the region at the expense of Bourgoin, who tumbled down the ranks (Federal 1 today) when he climbed them.

"Obviously, the fact that the club works helps us, I've had years when the competition was much tougher, and players went to Montferrand, Grenoble or Bourgoin" recognizes Stephane Vere.

"I think young people now want to come to the LOU, which was less the case at the time" confirms the Jurassien Lambey, precisely requested by Grenoble and Bourgoin before opting for Lyon.

Before breaking in as manager of Pierre Mignoni (2015), the second line of the Blues had to exile to Beziers (Pro D2), for lack of the confidence of the previous coaching.

Footbridges are now much more numerous between the training center and the first team. "Since his arrival, Pierre Mignoni has trusted many young people.If the manager closes the door, you can do all the work you want, + it does not come out. + It is a real change from what we knew before, "says the director of the training center.

- Stubbornness -

The requirement and the progress pegged to the body, Mignoni calls however to "accentuate this work" to get closer to the best clubs.

First by tightening the cracks to better enjoy a pool provided. "In a radius of an hour around Lyon, there are a hundred clubs and 60,000 licensed.The soil is fertile rugby us to maintain," said President Yann Roubert.

Then by restructuring the club's "Elite stream", to "put in place a common game identity," says Mignoni. "So that (young people) who want to become pros have common references, the same requirement, working method, throughout their career," continues Roubert.

This is already a bit the case, since David Attoub (scrum) and Karim Ghezal (key), coaches of the pros, also give their advice to all teams.

But the management wants to go further. The director of the training center and several coaches in the training sector are on the start, and this will be entrusted to Philippe Agostini, former coach of Mignoni Clermont (2005-2006) and current technical director of the League PACA-Corsica.

? 2019 AFP