Toulouse (AFP)

Stade Toulousain, which will start defending its title on the lawn of Union Bordeaux Begles Saturday, will join Bordeaux on Wednesday for "a mini stage," said Tuesday Regis Sonnes, coach of the Toulouse front.

"We did not do an internship during the preparation so as not to scatter too much and there was the opportunity to do a mini-internship at the beginning of the season to spend a little more time together", said Regis Sounds.

In front of the Union Bordeaux-Bègles, the first opponent of Toulouse, Régis Sonnes expects "a complicated match". "It's a team that can have a good season," he said while minimizing the reunion between Stade Toulousain and Christophe Urios, the new manager of the UBB and former Castres, the great regional rival. "Maybe a little more spicy but nothing special, no," he smiled.

Despite the absence of 15 players selected for the preparation for the next World Cup, the coach of the leaders of Toulouse is confident, considering that Stade Toulousain "has already experienced periods like that last season during the doubles." "We have a fairly substantial staff in depth and where there is quality," he added.

"The title has strengthened ties between players and it makes you want to go back," concluded the technician, while the Stade Toulousain is the last club to have retained its title (2011 and 2012).

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