“Are the different golden generations of Stade Toulousain comparable?
It’s hard to say. What I notice is that a state of mind persists. Beyond technique and play, on this notion of giving the best, all generations are comparable. We often talk about “a game of hands, a game of Toulousains”, but Stade Toulousain has always had an iron defense, as the team proved against Leinster on Saturday (22-31 AD).
“In my time, if my two starters were not there, it was less good. Here, this is not the case “
Is one generation stronger than the other?
It’s impossible to answer. I can only say that today’s team is impressive. There is talent everywhere. But there is also intelligence in recruiting by looking for very high-level foreigners like Willis, Arnold, Meafou and others. Without also forgetting exceptional training work. When I accompany my two grandsons aged 6 and 7 to training and watch the kids play, I understand why they are good at 17 years old. Finally, we must highlight the contribution of this high-quality staff. The difference between the generations lies in the cumulative number of players who can claim to play for the first team. Before, there were around thirty of them. Today, there are more than forty! But it’s difficult to compare. For example, the Michalak generation, they started playing at 18, not at 21 like the last one, which is already fabulous. When you have Dupont, Ntamack, Baille, Marchand…. In the second line, you have Meafou, Flament, Arnold. In my time, if my two starters were not there, it was less good. Here, this is not the case. The proof again with a replacement Thomas Ramos. It’s impressive.
How far can the current generation go?
We wonder who can beat Stade Toulousain at the moment. This generation is capable of winning four consecutive Brennus, like the Stade Toulousain generation between 1994 and 1997, or even three European Cups, like Toulon between 2013 and 2015. The more you win, the more you want to win. And above all, when you win at Stade Toulousain, you don’t want to leave. »
