Noves to rest stars as Top 14 pile-up looms for Toulouse

TOULOUSE coach Guy Noves envisages resting his key players for large chunks of the Top 14 run-in with his team having secured their place in the final of the Heineken Cup.

They prevailed despite having a mountainous absentee list — France backs Vincent Clerc, Clement Poitrenaud and Florian Fritz are among those injured, while star flanker Thierry Dusautoir did not figure as his father died in midweek.

With Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Byron Kelleher and Maxime Medard playing through the pain barrier in the second half against the Exiles, Noves looks to have a depleted party for the remaining eight weeks of the campaign.

However, with eight games left in the Top 14’s regular season, Toulouse should be assured of a top-four finish, which would qualify them for the semi-final play-offs at the end of June.

And over the next month, Noves looks set to focus his efforts on the Heineken Cup final, which takes place in Cardiff on May 24.

“There is a great chance that Toulouse are going to let themselves slip in the last part of the championship,” he said.

“We are in the final of the European Cup, we are practically qualified for the semi-finals of the Top 14 and we certainly haven’t the means to compete on both fronts.”

Noves was proud of his team’s never-say-die attitude, adding: “Our lack of replacements in the three-quarters meant we struggled at the end.

“Despite that, the pride of defending not only our jersey but the name of French rugby in England saw us home.

“We were playing our eighth semi-final and here we are in our fifth final. For a club that according to some people in certain newspapers was in crisis last year, that makes me happy.

“Our solidarity was important, especially in the second half. They gritted their teeth to hold out.

“That doesn’t surprise me but I am still in full admiration of them when it happens every year.”

Toulouse’s former New Zealand scrum-half Byron Kelleher felt the Heineken Cup more than matched the standard of the Super 14.

European rugby has traditionally been denied the recognition it deserves down under but Kelleher, who joined Toulouse after the World Cup, has been forced to reassess his own views.

“I’ve always scratched my head and wondered what northern hemisphere rugby is all about,” he said.

“But in dry conditions I’ve realised it’s not very different to the level of the Super 14. In fact, it’s more like Test rugby.

“There was a lot of skill on show in our semi-final. The spirit of rugby was there, with both teams looking to create chances.

“If anyone back home thinks northern hemisphere rugby is boring, I can tell them it’s not.

“It’s more of a marathon than a sprint up here and that’s means you have to test yourself mentally and physically.”