French star fumes over Euro cup safari
Yesterday at 12:02 PM
Toulouse fullback Thomas Ramos has added his voice to the concerns about the toll of a South African leg on European-based players in the Investec Champions Cup.
This after the reigning champions returned home from the Republic on Monday, having spent two days travelling to Durban and back on six flights to face the Sharks at Kings Park last week.
Toulouse also went from almost 30 degrees Celsius off the coast of the Indian Ocean to freezing conditions in the space of 24 hours.
“We're not the first to do it but what does it bring?” France playmaker Ramos said on Friday. “It's the question I'm asking.
“People are thinking a lot about player welfare, but how are we looking after players with journeys like that?”
In December, Toulon and former Wales flyhalf Dan Biggar raised the issue of player welfare and travelling to the Republic in the Champions Cup.
Meanwhile, Toulouse captain Antoine Dupont said the format of the EPCR competition is difficult to understand as the six-time winners face a challenge to claim a top spot in their pool.
ALSO: Bordeaux pose same threat as Toulouse – Plum
Finishing first in their group would guarantee Dupont and his teammates advantageous home games in the knockout stages until the semi-finals.
Toulouse need to beat two-time champions Leicester on Sunday in the final round of group matches, and hope Bordeaux-Begles slip-up against the Sharks a few hours earlier, to avoid having to travel in the quarter-finals.
“The pool matches of the Champions Cup are super important when you see the repercussions the standings can have on hosting or not knockout matches even if you don't really understand the way the teams are ranked,” Dupont told reporters.
“It's difficult to find the logic behind it. You have to get on with it and try and score as many points as possible in each match.”
Toulouse trail Bordeaux in Pool 1 by a point after failing to claim a bonus point against the Sharks following an arduous journey to Durban.
On Sunday, John Plumtree's Sharks head to Bordeaux looking for a rare South African away win in the Champions Cup.
“We find it hard to see things clearly in this competition, and I don't think we're alone,” Dupont said.
“When the South African teams come to Europe, it's hard not to see Bordeaux-Begles win with five points.
“If you follow the statistics, it's not likely,” the Les Bleus skipper added.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
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