EUROPEAN CUP FINAL COUNTDOWN:The CV of their forwards coach nicely illustrates the Toulouse philosophy of togetherness and seamless transition, writes Gerry Thornley.
BY TOULOUSE standards, it was almost a revolution. Nine players left in the summer, a few notables were brought in and Serge Lairle was replaced as forwards coach by Yannick Bru. Yet it was a very seamless, very Toulousain transition.
In switching from hooker to coach, Bru was continuing to serve under the head coach of the last 15 years, Guy Noves, and also continuing a club policy whereby every member of the coaching and managerial staff and almost all off-pitch employees are former players.
Nor do players tend to just pass through. A one-club man, Bru is in his 15th year with Stade, having spent four years in their academy and 10 as a professional.
"This is the club of my life and now I am coach of the forwards. I know every place in the stadium and every piece of the enterprise by heart," he states, almost matter-of-factly.
Bru has just finished a lengthy afternoon session on the main pitch at Stade Ernest Wallon, and having given interviews to local journalists and television, readily sits down in the stand in shorts and T-shirt to grant one in fluent English, thereby ensuring he will be last out of the dressingroom again this evening.
"This tradition is something that will always be defended by the management of the club. Every coach from the academy to the professional team wore the jersey of the team, because we defend a spirit, a certain way of playing rugby, a certain way of everyday life, and we want all the players to find a lot of comfort in the team; not only to come here and play one or two seasons and earn money and say bye-bye.
"We want all the players to be part of our history. Some of them have the luck, after a player's life, to continue by being integrated in this way."
The spirit of the club, the emphasis on playing with freedom, on educating and bringing through their own players such as Clément Poitrenaud and the prodigal son Frédéric Michalak - who has resisted more lucrative overtures from other clubs to return here next season - and on maintaining a "boot-room" philosophy in their coaching ranks, was originated by Pierre Villepreux, Jean-Claude Skrela, Noves and Robert Bru (not related) in the 1980s.
"They created the way of playing rugby here, with a lot of movement, to try to pass the ball to a maximum, to avoid falling on the pitch, to avoid many rucks - so we try to defend this idea of attractive rugby to make our supporters happy. From the CEO of the club to the sponsors, via the head coach and the supporters, everyone in the club says it's important to win but it's more important to play our rugby, to give happiness to the supporters.
"It's a big pressure for the players, but you cannot only give your best and try to win, you have to give your best and play attractive rugby. Sometimes it was a bit difficult when I was a player, this pressure, but it's part of our history."
Of course not every Toulouse player is fortunate enough to remain with the club in a coaching capacity. Noves clearly recognised the coaching potential in Bru, for he was an utter professional in his playing days and always meticulously well-prepared. Reportedly first into the club in the morning and last to leave in the evening, he fully realises he is somewhat honoured.
"Guy Noves and the club president, René Bouscatel, gave me a lot of trust when they proposed this function for me. I try to give my best every day. I don't count the time I spend in the club, because I am very proud of this mark of trust."
What also distinguishes Toulouse from other French clubs is their broader focus. So it is that they will contest their fifth European Cup final next Saturday as the competition's only three-time winners, whereas their compatriots have managed just one win (Brive in 1997) and five other finalists in total - the likes of Stade Francais, Biarritz and Perpignan failing at that final hurdle.
Bru was on two French Championship-winning sides and two Heineken Cup-winning sides and readily talks of the European Cup as a fantastic competition and of a higher standard than the French league, though Toulouse have had a relatively barren time domestically since 2001 and the last of their 16 French titles, even if making two finals and three semi-finals in the past five years.
He says the qualities required to win the two competitions are different. The H Cup, he maintains, is played at a quicker tempo and is more open, whereas in the Top 14 "you need to fight in every scrum, every lineout, every ruck, and referees are not the same level . . . So it's a different rugby and that's part of the explanation why we don't always play with the same level".
Bru is content with what he achieved as a player: "I took what I could expect from my career. I have always been . . . very clear with my level. I had the luck to make one World Cup, to win some trophies with Stade Toulousain and I'm very happy to be in the staff and to keep my career going in this way."
You wonder how difficult it was to make the transition to coaching erstwhile team-mates, but Bru says he does not operate in an authoritarian way, rather by consultation and has remained close to the players.
He has undoubtedly brought a fresh enthusiasm, and there has been a marked improvement in Toulouse's forward play - witness their success against the famed London Irish lineout in the semi-finals; they even pilfered a few of the opposition throws and scored off a lineout maul.
"Yes, but the players realised the importance of that game, a game that we decided to play with maximum work, maximum preparation. We know this cannot always be the case.
"In the French Top 14 it is very complicated to prepare for all the games in the same way. I know that when it is a very important game and the players give the maximum during the week, the setpieces are always complete.
"So I have a lot of confidence and trust in my players, even if we know against Munster it will be a fantastic challenge because they have what we say in French, conquest, where you try to win the ball - scrum, lineouts, kick-offs - we know they probably have the best forward line in Europe, in the H Cup, in the last 10 years."
If this is a fantastic challenge for Toulouse, then ditto for Munster; two giants colliding head-on in a final for the first time and, encouragingly or ominously, Toulouse seem more acutely aware of this than Biarritz were two years ago.
"When you play against Munster, Leicester or Wasps, it is something special because they have done so much for European rugby. They have so much respect throughout their teams.
"And I don't speak about their fans - there will be 50- or 60-thousand Irish fans in Cardiff, so it will be very difficult."
Two teams on missions of redemption, or atonement at any rate, as Bru sees it too, for Toulouse, perhaps even more than Munster - got back players from the Coupe du Monde who were mentally and physically shattered.
"Most of the Toulouse players are international players, most of the Munster players are Irish internationals. They did not have a very good World Cup so they expect in this game to reach the summit of their seasons."
Bru facts
Born: 22nd May, 1973, Auch
Position: Hooker
Club: Toulouse, 1998 to 2007 (assistant/forwards coach since 2007)
Honours: 2 French Championships (1999 and 2003); 2 Heineken Cups (2003 and 2005); 18 Tests with France (including Grand Slam 2002 and Six Nations title 2004, World Cup finals 2003)
