Toulouse (AFP)

Stade Toulousain can take advantage of the absence of Racing 92, monopolized by the European Cup, to widen the gap at the top of the Top 14 during a 5th day marked by the return of Castres, deprived of a match for a month by the Covid-19.

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Toulouse, warm autumn?

Five thousand spectators is the cornucopia during curfew!

A measure that does not concern Brive and its Stadium where the 4,500 subscribers can take place to support the CAB against the last champion (2019).

"It is something which is not negligible when one travels to Brive, one knows the fervor of this public which manages to transcend its team regularly", underlined Thursday the coach of Toulouse backs, Clément Poitrenaud.

Last season, in October precisely, Toulouse had fallen into the Corrézien trap (23-9).

So out of the question for the leader to underestimate the CAB, with a positive record so far (2 successes, 1 setback) and narrowly beaten at Bordeaux-Bègles (25-20).

"It's a very difficult team to maneuver, well organized, which is rather a good start to the season too," said Poitrenaud, who expects a "tough match".

Brive, "it's not just a game of forwards, they are also initiatives. We go there with a lot of humility."

After a convincing success in Racing (30-24), admittedly diminished by its cases of Covid-19 and focused on its European Cup final, Toulouse sees a great opportunity to consolidate its place to spend the autumn warm.

Because the XV of France will play six matches, after the last minute agreement reached Thursday between the Federation and the League, and its main provider will lose its eight internationals on Sunday (Ramos, Ntamack, Dupont, Tolofua, Cros, Marchand , Mauvaka, Baille).

As much to spare the Ntamack-Dupont hinge as to prepare the duplicates, the trainer Ugo Mola will start in Brive that composed of Alexi Balès (N.9) and Zack Holmes (N.10), so far little used and which will have to continue until December.

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Castres, Montpellier, UBB convalescents

For this first day in the context of curfew against the pandemic, which leads the League and the broadcaster Canal + to review the schedules for the five clubs in the areas concerned (Racing, Stade Français, Montpellier, Toulouse, Lyon), a team will be Particularly scrutinized: Castres, barely recovered from his cluster which affected around thirty of its players and prevented him from playing since mid-September (his matches against Montpellier and Brive have been postponed).

"The circumstances are very difficult, we are going to face it", summed up to AFP the president of the CO Pierre-Yves Revol, whose team goes to La Rochelle still deprived of many players and rhythm.

But the Castres, champions in 2018 to everyone's surprise, have resources and manager Mauricio Reggiardo intends to "convert into motivation" the ordeal they have gone through.

Montpellier is also recovering, but for reasons more sporting than medical: despite a workforce (Rattez, Bouthier, Reinach, Camara, Ouedraogo, Guirado ...) and a staff (Saint-André, Garbajosa, Elissalde) very well provided, the MHR has not won a game in three games played.

The Héraultais did not go far in Toulon (25-21) and must imperatively open the counter against Agen, the other club without a victory so far, under penalty of great turbulence.

The turbulence, the Bordelais suffered after the setback in Lyon (27-10) which angered Christophe Urios.

"I hate that we cheat like that, that we pretend," thundered the manager.

They too affected by Covid-19 - three cases declared -, the Girondins could not redeem themselves against Clermont, the match having been postponed.

They have the opportunity on Saturday in Pau, seducing second in the standings.

Sunday, Lyon (10th), hooked precisely in Béarn (29-29), will want to turn the page of a mixed start to the season against Bayonne and overtake him (8th).

In the same zone in the standings, Clermont (5th) will have to be wary of the Stade Français (9th), victorious come back from his first two trips to Castres and Agen.

© 2020 AFP