Soon to be in the pink of Lézignan |
by Mark Hall
After a weekend off for the National Rail Final, it's back to league action at 6 o'clock on Saturday night at Cougar Park. Looking doomed, Keighley take on a decimated Toulouse team who desperately need the points here to hang on the coat tails of the top six. With Halifax, Leigh, Widnes and Barrow to come, this is a must win game for the French. Here we preview the action |
We could start with a team of players who won't be at Cougar Park on Saturday night, such is the injury crisis enveloping Toulouse at the moment. Simon Worrall is out along with Andre Olari, Tim Wynn, Constant Villegas, and Matt Griffi. Add Martin Mitchell, Yoan Tisseyre and Nick Fauré and you begin to see how bad it's getting.
Coming into the team though are Maxime Hérold, signed recently from Limoux after their season finished, and also Tony Gigot, who is on a dual registration from the Catalans Dragons. As I have said in recent previews, there seem to be many who can step up and fill in for the injured players and do a sterling job and not let anyone down. Constant Villegas's replacement Sylvain Houlès, has shown that he can forge a good half back partnership with Nathan Wynn and Cédric Gay applies himself well in the hooker role when deputising for Martin Mitchell. The only worry there is that Martin is a leader from dummy half and drags the team all over the field, something which Cédric should be able to step up to.
It seems to be in the forwards where we are hardest hit and I would see the six taking the field at kick off time as Brendan Worth, Cedric Gay, Jérôme Gout, Romain Mencarini, Antoni Maria and Kevin Larroyer. The back line seems more settled, with Rory Bromley, the two Sebs, Planas and Payan, Vincent Duport and Carlos Mendes Varela on the wings with Sylvain and Nathan in the halves. Coming off the bench should see Eric Anselme and Maxime Herold with Tony Gigot and maybe Bruno Orméno named. That still leaves Teli Pelo, and Teli has had some good games recently, so I will cut the conjecture and let Gilles decide the team!
Keighley's nine-point deduction at the beginning of the season seemed to be a mountain just too big to climb and I am sure that defeat on Saturday, should it happen, would virtually condemn them to Championship One again next year.
As shown in the photograph and the caption, one player who won't be at Toulouse next year is Nathan Wynn. Lézignan have signed him and look to be making some ambitious plans such as a possible application to the Northern Rail Cup. Could this be a prelude to another French team applying for the English Leagues? Watch this space. Nathan will be sadly missed, as he is such a talisman and consistent player, who I know, from his constant texts and calls wants the sang-et-or.net player of the season badly. Very badly!
Injuries mean that this game will be closer than many think, and I see the match going in the favour of the visitors, but not by much. Toulouse by 8 just after 8 on Saturday night, but then again, what do I know?
TOULOUSE: Rory Bromley, Sébastian Planas, Sébastian Payan, Vincent Duport, Carlos Mendes Varela, Nathan Wynn, Brendan Worth, Eric Anselme, Antoni Maria, Jérôme Gout, Sylvain Houlès, Cédric Gay, Romain Mencarini, Bruno Orméno, Kevin Larroyer, Teli Pelo, Tony Gigot, Maxime Hérold.
KEIGHLEY: to follow
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