News

Toulouse talk up Medard

October 08 2008

When French champions Toulouse kick their Heineken Cup campaign off against Bath on Sunday, they will be expecting a big performance from their latest back-line wonder, full-back Maxime Medard.

Medard is the latest product of Toulouse's school of attacking flair, and Bath will do well to keep an eye on him when they visit la Ville Rose this weekend.

The 21-year-old, recently named the Top 14's best young player from the 2007-08 season, is widely expected to be named in France coach Marc Lievremont's squad for the forthcoming autumn internationals.

Toulouse captain Jean Bouilhou admits the club has high hopes for Medard, who is equally at home on the wing.

"Maxime is a very good player and he will only improve," the flanker said.

"Last year, his confidence was very high, he played so well and his physicality was incredible. He is strong, has a good step and I think he will be a famous player for France for years to come."

Toulouse are still suffering from the hangover from a spate of injuries to key players last season, most notably Vincent Clerc and Clement Poitrenaud but Bouilhou sees no reason why the three-time European champions cannot repeat last year's appearance in the final.

"We will try to do the same as last season because we have a very large squad with some very good players," he said.

"We can change one player with another and the level of the team does not drop. That is important in today's game. We will do our best to challenge in both competitions and we have our fingers crossed we don't get any injuries.

"Last year, we lost three players and they were three key players in our team. But the group responded well then and that is why we are confident now."

Bouilhou maintains there is no room for complacency, despite Toulouse's status as favourites in a group that also contains Welsh region Dragons and Glasgow Warriors.

"You have to say it's a high-quality group," he said.

"Bath are a great team and doing well in the English championship so we know there will be two very hard games against them. We know they have some very dangerous backs so we have to be careful.

"Newport are also a threat. We played them a few years ago and we lost away, so we know it will be difficult to beat them on their ground. And although Glasgow are the second team in Scotland, they have good players and we see from their national team that Scottish sides are strong and organised.

"We have to be careful everywhere."