2009 Toulouse Olympique season

2009 was the first year of participation to the Championship for the Toulouse Olympique rugby league club. Toulouse was allowed special dispensation to field five overseas players in their first season. The new Toulouse team was composed of 9 full-time players, 13 part-time players and 10 members of the Toulouse academy.[1] With a largely renewed team and a lack of preseason (only friendly with the Dragons cancelled due to the weather), the TO started its season with a series of defeat. Its first match in the Championship proved to be too much of a challenge with a hammering 70-0 at Widnes in front of Sky cameras. However, after the victory away against Batley, the TO accumulated victories and looked on track for a top 4 spot.

2009 Toulouse Olympique season
Co-operative Championship Rank10th
2009 recordWins: 9; Losses: 11
Points scoredFor: 556 (8th); Against: 582 (8th)
Team information
ChairmanCarlos Zalduendo
CoachGilles Dumas
Captain
StadiumStade des Minimes
Avg. Attend.2,372
Top scorers
TriesRory Bromley (12)
Damien Couturier (12)
GoalsNathan Wynn (76)
PointsNathan Wynn (172)
< 2008 2010 >

The match against Featherstone at home in June however marked another turning point in the season. With the injury of the play maker Nathan Wynn and several referee decisions going against the team, the TO lost the match. Without Wynn, at the crucial time where the team was to be opposed to the favourite of the Championship, the TO lost 4 games in a row. With Wynn coming back a win away at Featherstone was a short lived success. An unexpected defeat at home against Gateshead in battle for relegation removed almost any chance left of making the playoffs. Without much stakes left in the Championship (given the absence of relegation for the TO in its first 3 seasons in Championship), Toulouse lost also two of its last 3 matches at Leigh and Halifax.

The final ranking of Toulouse, 10 out of 11, does not represent fairly the quality of a team who won 9 out of 20 matches in a very competitive division where the final champion, Barrow, won only 13 of its matches.

Fixtures and results
CompetitionRoundOpponentResultScoreHome/AwayVenueAttendanceDatePhotos
Challenge Cup3 Sheffield EaglesLoss22-6AwayDon Valley Stadium1,55408/03/20091
Co-operative Championship1 Widnes VikingsLoss70-0AwayHalton Stadium5,07412/03/20091
Co-operative Championship2 Sheffield EaglesLoss12-18HomeStade des Minimes1,92321/03/2009Full match1, 2
Co-operative Championship3 WhitehavenLoss40-26AwayRecreation Ground1,22528/03/2009Match extract1
Co-operative Championship5 Batley BulldogsWin22-60AwayMount Pleasant66213/04/20091
Co-operative Championship6 Leigh CenturionsWin46-10HomeStade Ernest-Argeles2,00018/04/2009Full match1
Co-operative Championship7 DoncasterWin18-48AwayKeepmoat Stadium1,08926/04/20091
Co-operative Championship8 WhitehavenWin38-18HomeStade des Minimes2,30002/05/2009Match extract1
Co-operative Championship10 Barrow RaidersWin22-14HomeStade des Minimes2,90016/05/2009Full match1
Co-operative Championship11 Sheffield EaglesLoss58-12AwayDon Valley Stadium80923/05/20091, 2
Co-operative Championship12 Gateshead ThunderWin16-52AwayGateshead International Stadium51607/06/20091, 2, 3
Co-operative Championship13 Batley BulldogsWin32-24HomeStade des Minimes2,17613/06/2009Full match1
Co-operative Championship14 Featherstone RoversLoss16-32HomeStade Ernest-Argeles2,00027/06/2009Full match1
Co-operative Championship15 Barrow RaidersLoss30-22AwayCraven Park2,45602/07/2009
Co-operative Championship16 HalifaxLoss16-54HomeStade des Minimes2,69718/07/2009Full match1, 2, 3
Co-operative Championship17 Widnes VikingsLoss24-32HomeStade Ernest-Argeles3,20625/07/2009Full match1
Co-operative Championship18 Featherstone RoversWin18-34AwayChris Moyles Stadium1,34601/08/2009Match extract
Co-operative Championship19 Gateshead ThunderLoss20-48HomeStade des Minimes1,38608/08/2009Match highlights1
Co-operative Championship20 Leigh CenturionsLoss26-6AwayLeigh Sports Village1,50215/08/20091
Co-operative Championship21 DoncasterWin52-6HomeStade des Minimes1,20022/08/2009
Co-operative Championship22 HalifaxLoss34-18AwayShay Stadium2,12805/09/20091

League table
2009 Co-operative Championship
# Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1 Barrow Raiders 201307632261271544
2 Halifax 201307714476238443
3 Sheffield Eagles 201109635447188942
4 Widnes Vikings 201109649438211639
5 Whitehaven 201208565567−2339
6 Featherstone Rovers 20120861952495137
7 Gateshead Thunder 20929610657−47332
8 Batley Bulldogs 208210536620−84632
9 Leigh Centurions 209011426572−146532
10 Toulouse Olympique XIII 209011556582−26330(a)
11 Doncaster 201019257955−6985-1(b)
  Teams qualifying for the Play-offs
  Teams in relegation position

Source: Co-Operative Championship Table
Note (a): Toulouse were exempt from relegation.
Note: (b): Doncaster lost 9 competition points for entering administration.
Classification: 1st on league points; 2nd on match points difference.
League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.
Pld = Games played; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; PF = Match points scored; PA = Match points conceded; PD = Points difference; BP = Bonus Points; Pts = League points.

2009 Squad and players' statistics
PlayerAppearancesTriesGoalsDropPointsPositionFormer clubInternationalStatusNote
1 Rory Bromley18120048FullbackRedcliffe Dolphins-Full-time
2Sébastien Payan1630012WingerCatalans Dragons-Part-time
3 Sébastien Planas1880032CentreToulouse OlympiqueYesFull-time
4 Damien Couturier201212072CentreToulouse Olympique-Full-time
5 Julien Lasserre1992046FullbackToulouse Olympique-Part-time
6 Constant Villegas1980032Stand offToulouse OlympiqueYesPart-time
7 Nathan Wynn175760172Scrum halfSydney Bulls-Full-time
8 Brendan Worth190000PropPenrith Panthers-Full-time
9 Martin Mitchell1860024HookerParramatta Eels reserve-Full-time
10 Mathieu Griffi1850020PropCatalans DragonsYesFull-time
11 Timothy Wynn1830012Second rowWentworthville Magpies-Full-time
12 Mathieu Almarcha163000Second rowToulouse Olympique-Part-time
13 Eric Anselme1740016Loose forwardLeeds RhinosYesFull-time
14 Antoni Maria1940016Second rowSt Gaudens-Toulouse academy
15 Jérôme Gout00000PropToulouse Olympique-Part-timeInjured all season
16 Olivier Pramil101004PropNew York Knights-Part-time
17 Yohan Barthau60000Second rowSt Gaudens-Toulouse academy
18 Adrien Viala72008WingerToulouse Olympique-Part-time
19 Nicolas Delgal20000Scrum halfRC Albi XIII-Toulouse academy
20 Sylvain Houles161000Loose forwardToulouse Olympique-Part-time
21 Bruno Ormeno1040016CentreToulouse Olympique-Part-time
22 Nicolas Fauré132008PropToulouse Olympique-Part-time
23 Cédric Gay94000HookerToulouse Olympique-Part-time
- Clément Bienes31000WingerToulouse Olympique-Toulouse academy
- Kevin Liguoro12000WingerToulouse Olympique-Toulouse academy
- Teli Pelo30000WingerRamonvillea-
- Jean-Christophe Borlin121004PropSt GaudensYesArrived in May
- Yoan Tisseyre32000Second rowLezignan-Arrived in the summer
- Carlos Mendes Varela42000WingerLyon-Arrived in the summer
- Florian Quintilla30000Second rowCatalans Dragons-On loan one month
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References
  1. French federation press presentation
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