Wasps loss spurs Pelous as historic treble beckons
Pelous was at the helm when Toulouse lifted the coveted trophy in Dublin in 2003 and Edinburgh in 2005 and now the clash with Munster at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday presents the former French captain with the opportunity to go one better than Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio managed with Leicester Tigers and London Wasps respectively.
“Bizarrely, I would say that my best memory is the final we lost against London Wasps at Twickenham in 2004 because it was an extraordinary game,” said the lock who has made 74 Heineken Cup appearances.
“Despite the bitterness of the defeat, it remains a very good moment because we gave everything that day.
“As for the blunder by Clement Poitrenaud at the last minute, that was just fate — it simply wasn’t meant to be our day on that occasion.
“But we had nothing to regret from our performance as we had the satisfaction of having given everything we could and the bitterness of the defeat was soothed by the fact we had produced the quintessence of our game.”
Now it is the top two ranked teams going head-to-head with Pelous wary of Munster matching them with their experience of the biggest of big occasions.
“I remember the two meetings we have had with them in semi-finals, one at Le Stadium — where we won by a very narrow margin — and then the other semi-final in Bordeaux when they beat us.
“Munster are a team of much the same quality and standing as ourselves on the European level. They have played a huge number of matches, they have plenty of experience and — just like us — they have a tremendous relationship with a tournament which has been so successful for them.
“We have an enormous respect for Munster because, whatever happens, they are always present in those big events and they are always massively efficient in the competition.
“In particular, they now have a back division that is far more competitive and dangerous, but, just reaching the final shows they do not have many deficiencies.
“So I think it could all come down to who holds their focus and concentration the better both in our preparations and on the day.’’
As treble champions Toulouse are the tournament’s most successful club, embracing the European challenge sooner and more passionately than fellow French clubs.
“We have a special relationship with the Heineken Cup because we have taken part in all the campaigns and we have won it three times,” he said.
“The Heineken Cup is a level just below internationals and is the highest a club can reach so to be able to get as far as possible means a huge amount.
“It is always a big event to play in the tournament and we relish and enjoy these big occasions. We often change venues to go to Le Stadium, which is not our real home ground, but this proves we are always keen to match the magnitude this tournament means.
“And it certainly allows us to have an impact across Europe because I think in France we are known and acknowledged but the Heineken Cup gives us the opportunity to express ourselves even more and to be recognised on the bigger and wider European stage.’’
He added: “I believe the tournament is still developing but has already made huge progress. It now has its place in the sports world and its impact grows more and more significant over the years.
“We have had a lot of injury problems this season and our squad is diminished in numbers but it is still rich in quality. We still have key players amongst us and our group is still very efficient so yes, we have some strength in depth.
“As for myself, I still feel robust so I’ve decided to stay with Toulouse for at least another season. To be on the field and share great moments with my team-mates are the moments I love the most and I know they won’t last forever and I will miss that when I stop, so I want to make the most of it now while it lasts.”
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