With Toulon and the Stade Felix Mayol set to host one of their biggest games in recent times, James While caught up with their skipper, ex-England lock David Ribbans.
Toulon are poised to tackle arch rivals Toulouse in the quarter-finals of the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday, bringing down the curtain on the last-eight in some style.
Appetite for destruction
“I think you saw for yourself the appetite for the big matches we have in Toulon on Saturday,” Ribbans explained after their victory over Saracens in the Round of 16.
“The whole location of the Mayol and the way the town gets around the club and the team is almost unique and for all of the great fun we had against Saracens, I think this one will be that game on steroids and we’re all as excited as hell for it.
“It’s interesting that neither Toulouse or us started particularly well at the weekend; obviously Toulouse had the parachute incident to contend with, but I don’t think either of us were happy about the way we started – we certainly weren’t and there were some stern words spoken at half-time,” he confirmed.
“Potentially, we got too engaged in the emotion last weekend and I think the occasion and the excitement just made us lose early concentration. We’ve spoken about it already this week – Pierre (Mignoni) also highlighted poor defensive errors early in the game – it was unacceptable in the terms of the standards we set ourselves and we’ve had some conversations about how we cope with those early pressure moments.
“We’re very much aware that if we repeat that against the quality of Toulouse they won’t give us the same opportunity to get back into the game – they’re far too clinical for that – so our approach is learn from those errors, identify them properly and honestly and move on.”
Top 14 excellence
“But this is a game that just underlines the standard of the Top 14. It is Test match intensity week in and week out – especially at the top half of the league,” he continued.
“People often talk about the standard, but for me, it’s the culture that defines it. The French people embrace their clubs as part of the community. The appetite for great rugby is huge – even down to the crowds you see in the Pro D2 – especially when they televise those away from Top 14 clashes on Thursday nights – a model that really promotes that league.
“It’s an amazing spectacle – sold-out stadiums and wonderfully passionate fans – and as a player that is so enjoyable. Places like Castres away – they’re super hostile environments both on and off the pitch, but that’s what excites us as players.
“Obviously there’s a salary cap much higher than the Premiership. But, and this is important, we play eight to twelve games a year more than the Premiership sides and there’s no breaks in our schedule like there is back in England. So in short, that increased cap pays for deeper squads, and that depth is needed for the duration of the competition – so I don’t buy that the cap difference is as big a point of difference as others make out,” Ribbans observed.
“It is a fine balance; our workload is huge – on a personal level I’ve played a lot of games this season and I’m envious of those who get rested more, but that level of challenge also preps you for big games such as this one coming up, so it is, as I say, quite a fine balance.”
Maturing leader
“Obviously, it’s a huge honour to skipper a club as steeped in tradition as Toulon are. I always think that leadership can be a poisoned chalice to some – it can go one way or another in terms of the effect it has on personal form. Sometimes you’re trying too hard, doing things that aren’t you, so for me, the key has been not to let it bother me too much,” admitted the former England lock.
“I think the reason I got the gig was I’d built up respect from the club, the city and the supporters in terms of the way I play and the commitment I have to RCT. So why change that? There’s plenty of voices within the senior leadership of the club, both player and coach, that are vocal and can tee off a bit, so I try to balance that out with simplicity and only saying things when they’re needed to be said.
“I know it’s a cliché, but I just carry on doing what I do. I called the lineouts even when Charles (Ollivon) was around, so that continues – and I have two former France skippers supporting me in him and also Baptiste Serin.
“The scariest thing has been the pressure it’s put on my French language skills – but I’m getting there!” he quipped.
International return
“Look, I’m aware of reports last week about international futures and one thing I’ll stress is I don’t like the concept of changing countries for convenience. I played for England and for sure, I’d love to do that again – so that is a desire, for sure,” he admitted.
“The British and Irish Lions are aware of availability of key eligible players for the Lions trip and of course I’d want to go. However, for those of us involved in the Top 14 race, availability is going to be an issue and that goes for all of us – Jack Willis, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn and myself, just to mention a few. But they know we’re available and the rest is up to them – it’s out of my control, but of course I’d leap at the chance,” Ribbans confirmed.
Competitive edge
“Looking forward to this week, this is a game where we need to start hot,” he said.
“We’ll have Baptiste Serin and he’s a game changer for us. If you looked at his highlights reel from this season alone your jaw would hit the floor, he is that good. France produce nines like no other; it’s a different role here – they control the match in the same way a ten does for South Africa or England.
“It’s the general of the side here and as a simple example, when Ben White came to RCT it took him some time to adapt to the play controlling role of a French nine. He’d be the first to admit it’s one he’s still learning.”
Ribbans continued: “Looking forward to the weekend, I think we saw a brilliant first half from Sale last weekend, but then the relentlessness of Toulouse and the quality they unloaded off the bench simply became too much for them as they tired on a hot day. That physicality needs to be matched and bettered, but it’s not just about that power – players like Meafou, Flament, Cros and Willis are also phenomenal with ball in hand and they offload and pass in chaos like stars, so it’s key for us to respect our own possession too, and not give those back-rowers the chance to steal or disrupt.
“It goes back to that concentration piece. We saw with Sale how one overhit kick cost them a 50/22 and then Toulouse score off a lineout and turn the match around – all from one kick that was two or three metres too long. They love those moments, they gain energy from them, suddenly they win the next restart, come alive and you’re 14 down in the blink of an eye.
“It boils down to managing to start hot but then maintaining momentum and concentration. They defend pretty well so our own efficiency in scoring is also key and that’s the thinking we’re focusing on for Sunday. It’s going to be great!”