European Cup Focus on Toulouse;'Ever since Isitolo Maka left we've struggled for a number eight, but Sowerby made a difference straight away.' Gerry Thornleyexpects Leinster to meet a different Toulouse to the one that beat Edinburgh Toulouse ins and outs
These are slightly uncertain days at Stade Toulousain. The most successful side in French club history won the last of their 16 French Championships in 2001 and the last of their three Heineken European Cups three seasons ago. Two seasons of relative failure were followed by a summer turnover in player personnel and thus far they've been rotating their squad in a bid to find the right mix.
The defeat at home to Leinster in the quarter-finals two seasons ago was compounded by a rare failure to emerge from the pool stages after defeats away and at home to Llanelli; the first time since the back-to-back pool eliminations of 2001 and 2002. Despite never failing to make the French semi-finals in his 18 years in charge, some were even beginning to question the standing of their celebrated head coach Guy Noves.
Now 53, the seven-times-capped former French winger won two Bouclier du Brenuus as a player in 1985 and '86, when the visionary Pierre Villepreux established their famed academy structure and running game.
Noves himself took the club to those three European triumphs in 1996, 2003 and 2005 as well as a remarkable seven championships. However, he remains as driven as ever, with Yannick Bru making the switch from hooker to forwards' coach in place of Serge Lairle, bringing in half a dozen new signings and promoting younger players from within.
As is often the case with Toulouse, the difficulty for Leinster is knowing which team will turn up when they face the French aristocrats in Stade Ernest Wallon this Sunday evening. The team which won their opening domestic match 15-10 away to newly promoted Dax, the side which laboured to a typically minimalist 19-15 win away to Edinburgh or, more probably, the one in between which accounted for French champions Stade Français by 28-9.
Played in front of 35,000 in le Stadium de Toulouse, that was a comprehensive three tries to nil win, and Leinster coach Michael Cheika sees their decision to play this Sunday's match in their own Stade Ernest Wallon (kick-off 9pm local time, 8pm Irish) as a statement of intent.
For all their upheavals, it's also worth bearing in mind that all told, in addition to the departed Frédéric Michalak, Toulouse had 17 players at the World Cup, drawn from seven different countries.
In the circumstances, Toulouse have begun the season reasonably well. As the retired Trevor Brennan explains, they've employed a rotational policy thus far with a view to finding their best team for the Leinster match.
"Everyone who's fit and in contention has been given a run for the opening three games and after the performance in Edinburgh, which everyone admitted was poor, I'd say they'll go back to the team, more or less, which beat Stade Français.
"Everyone was worried about the number 10 spot after Freddy left. The club tried to sign Luke McAllister but that fell through. That was the biggest worry."
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, France's World Cup scrum half, actually began his career at outhalf with La Rochelle when coached by his father Jean-Pierre - who now coaches surprise early leaders Bayonne - and reverted to that position impressively in the opening win at Dax.
Gaffie du Toit, the former Cheetahs and Springboks outhalf-cum-fullback, did not unduly impress against Edinburgh but according to Brennan, the most commanding of all thus far was Valentin Courrent, another converted scrumhalf, in the win over Stade Français. "He was exceptional in his kicking and his running of the backline."
In the absence of the injured Florian Fritz and Cedric Heymans, Noves has given opportunities to the hitherto lightly-used Fijian centre Maleli Kunavore, a try scorer in the win over Stade along with two by the in-form Vincent Clerc, and a couple of French under-21 products of their academy, centre Maxime Mermoz and winger Maxime Medard, a try scorer in Edinburgh whom Brennan and those at Toulouse rate hugely.
As significant has been the signing of South African number eight Shaun Sowerby from Stade. "Every since Isitolo Maka left we've struggled for a number eight, but Sowerby made a difference straight away. He's an option at lineouts and kick-offs, he's a strong tackler, a strong runner, strong off the base and has fantastic hands," adds Brennan.
Most of all, Toulouse haven't forgotten the shock of that 41-35 quarter-final defeat of two years ago. "That's still very, very much in mind," admits Brennan. "But there'd be a bit of a fear factor as well. They very much have a lot of respect for Leinster and they know Leinster will be up for it. On the two sides' form of last week, you'd have to say Leinster's was better and if I was Leinster I wouldn't change anything about the selection, the gameplan or the intensity. But they'll know that wasn't the real Toulouse in Edinburgh."
This Sunday, you sense, will be more like it.
PLAYERS IN
Yohan Montes, prop (Stade Francais); Vernet Basualdo, hooker (Alumni, Arg); Shaun Sowerby, backrow (Stade Francais); Byron Kelleher, scrumhalf (Waikato Chiefs, NZ); Marcus di Rollo, centre (Edinburgh); Yves Donguy, winger (Brive)
PLAYERS OUT
Frederic Michalak, outhalf (Natal Sharks); Jean-Frederic Dubois, outhalf (Racing Metro); Gareth Thomas, utility back (Cardiff Blues); Gregory Menkarsha, prop (Auch); Xavier Garbajosa, utility back (Bayonne); Benoit Baby, centre (Clermont); Antoine Battut, flanker (Auch); Marc Girard, back-row (Mont-de-Marsan); Trevor Brennan, retired.
