"You need high-performance clubs for the French team to be good," says Patrice Collazo

Coach of the Toulon Rugby club, Patrice Collazo (here in Toulon on January 13) has the "culture club" pegged to the body.
Coach of the Toulon Rugby club, Patrice Collazo (here in Toulon on January 13) has the "culture club" pegged to the body. Patrice Terraz / Divergence for "Le Monde"

Quick, club equipment! After training, Patrice Collazo has to put on one for the photo shoot. Instructions from the press secretary. The Toulon Rugby Club (RCT) coach takes on him. “When we were playing as kids, we were waiting for the peach skin tracksuit, we went to class with it. " Note: the tracksuit from Gruarin Sport, the store of "Aldo" Gruarin, the former local pillar.

This can be heard in the accent, Collazo is around the corner. Birth in La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var). Oval beginnings looking at his father, mason and trainer from Sanary-sur-Mer (Var). Then first tackles at the RCT at the age of 13. He now has 45, two of whom are already training the first team: "I think it's hard everywhere. Afterwards, I think there’s a little more context… how to say… a little more abrasive here. " Souvenir of the apprentice pillar: "We are conditioned with the idea that everyone is against us, that nobody likes us. The educators harp on it, it continues. It's part of the thing, you can't deny yourself. When we play here, to start with, we are anti-Nice, anti-Valettois, anti-Seynois. " Then the circle of enmities grows as they move.

To sum up, Varois "Has a very strong club culture". Put another way : "The French team, I look at it, I am happy when it has good results, very good, but what interests me is the club. " Additional proof? His refusal to integrate the staff of the XV of France after the dismissal of Guy Novès, in December 2017. "I was hired at La Rochelle so I declined. No regrets. " Point.

Eight RCT internationals

Sunday, February 2, he should still watch the opening of the next Six Nations Tournament: the XV of France receives England, three and a half months after a further elimination in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Japan. Eight Toulonnais make up the enlarged group of forty-two Blues to prepare for the Tournament. Including the new captain, Charles Ollivon.

Read also XV of France: Fabien Galthié obtains his 42 players and the sacred union of French rugby

"Having eight internationals, even if we are going to be" penalized "during the Six Nations period, I think it proves the good health of a club. " Or more precisely his return to form, after a sad 9e place in Top 14 last season. " It also proves that we were not wrong in giving responsibility to some. Or by going to find young people with potential in Agen (Julien Hériteau) or Grenoble (Gervais Cordin). Not everyone agreed with this recruitment because it was not flashy. "

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