• It is the poster at the top of the Top 14, the leader the Stade Toulousain moves to Bordeaux to challenge his runner-up.

  • This Garonne derby is taking on a new dimension in sport with an emerging rivalry.

  • Toulouse is keeping one step ahead of UBB, its ambitious neighbor from Bordeaux.

It was October 30th. UBB celebrates its victory against Clermont. The top 14 leader position as a bonus that night. The announcer takes the floor one last time to give the meeting point for the next match at the Chaban-Delmas stadium… And it is there that a huge bronca descends from the stands when the opponent is mentioned: the Stade Toulousain . Whistles not very rugby as some would say. But this has the merit of being clear: the champions of France and Europe are expected firmly this Saturday (9 p.m.) for the shock of the 12th day of the championship, between his boss and his second.

The atmosphere promises to be electric in an arch-roofed enclosure.

The 33,000 places flew in three days.

And this week, some smart kids were still looking to find a ticket under the cloak, like this supporter of the Union who with the nerve did not hesitate to go see Laurent Marti, the president of the club, in full training, to beg for a place.

Yes, this match is salivating on the banks of the Garonne.

It must be said that the rivalry between the two neighbors of the South-West is increasingly strong in recent seasons.

Geographical and now sporty

"De facto" is the poster of the moment for Elodie Richard, the president of the supporters' club "Les Burdigalais". “The geographical rivalry has always existed between us but today, it is reinforced by the sporting one on the ground, continues the one who will welcome her friends from the Supporters' Association of the Stade Toulousain for a small snack before the meeting. For the moment, the rivalry is good child even if Toulouse are, sometimes, some excess of zeal. It's fair game since we're trying to take the king's place. "

And it is true that on the meadow, this clash has taken on a new dimension for over two years with the arrival of Christophe Urios in Gironde. The UBB increasingly titillates the big boss of French rugby with a first place in the regular season before the end of the 2019/2020 season due to the health crisis and above all, last season with two duels in half. Top 14 and Champions Cup finals. “The paradox is that we beat them more before than now when we are stronger today. We're struggling against them and it's not nice to think that last season, they beat us four times. The first three times, they defeated us as they pleased and it was a bit annoying. But the last time in the semifinals in June, we lost it a bit on our own, ”explains Laurent Marti.

🔴🏉 READ.

On the occasion of the release of his second book Une saison en enfer, @ChristopheUrios opened the doors of his office for a whole day at @ 20Minutes!

A report as close as possible to the trainer of @UBBrugby who became an expert in management https://t.co/8u8K8EU4kr

- Clement Carpentier (@clementcarpet) November 27, 2021

Finally, it is the actors who still give a little more spice to this shock today. On the benches to start with Christophe Urios and Ugo Mola, two managers who can not supervise. An enmity known for a long time and already very present on the occasion of the duels between Castres and Toulouse at the time when the first officiated in the Tarn. And what about the field? After having told you about them with the XV of France in recent weeks, Matthieu Jalibert and Romain Ntamack will come face to face for a four-star duel. Antoine Dupont will have his second against him, Maxime Lucu, and Cameron Woki will surely face the Cros-Jelonch doublet. Beautiful people: “This week, I'm like a child. I am 8 years old like my vils. I'm counting the days. I can't wait any longer, ”smiles Elodie Richard.

A rivalry still in its early stages

Excitement, there are many months at Jean-Marc Arnaud.

The president of Huit, an association of supporters of the Stadium, has seen others.

Great rivalries, he has known with Clermont, Toulon or the Stade Français.

It's not the very young UBB that will make him tremble.

“It's one rivalry among many.

Enemies, Toulouse has them everywhere (

laughs

).

But given their consistency over the past two years, these Bordelais must be taken very seriously!

"He concludes:" This match is much more important for Bordeaux than for us.

"And for once, he is surely right.

Why ?

Because the UBB remains on five defeats in a row against the Stadium.

This is also why the rivalry is so far not as strong as it could be.

It tends to be one-sided.

Today, Toulouse clearly has a psychological influence on the Union, as on all French and even European teams.

We think in particular of the Stade Rochelais, beaten twice in the final last season.

There is something that we very often forget, it is that 14 years ago when I took over the UBB at the bottom of Pro D2, Stade Toulousain already lined up the titles, explains Laurent Marti.

We are quite simply a very young club.

So, we compare a confirmed club and one that is growing every day.

It is a question of construction time.

"

This common history is ultimately very recent between the two clubs. This is perhaps also why we cannot yet speak of a very great rivalry. It is only in its infancy for the moment. Despite this, Laurent Marti, perhaps the most Toulousain of the Bordelais (he played at the Stade in his youth), is keeping a close watch. It is out of the question that this rivalry gets out of hand, as sometimes on "social networks with insults or physical attacks", recalls Elodie Richard. The Bordeaux leader warns his supporters, and by extension those of the Rouge et Noir: “I call on them to encourage our team very strongly but also to respect the opponent. I didn't like the '' where the Clermontois are in the last match '' and we heard the same thing in La Rochelle about us. This is not rugby.»See you this Saturday at 9 pm to see if everyone resists it.

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