Ugo Mola, philovalie

Briefly stopped by a few metal barriers and barrier tape, a small crowd forms in respectful calm on the Quai de la Daurade, on the banks of the Garonne, when the entire professional squad of Stade Toulousain arrives. Yet, the quintessence of French, if not world, club rugby is indeed gathered here, validated by an unparalleled track record. Force of habit, no doubt.

In this back-to-school week, coinciding with the restart of the Top 14 (the French championship), the sober ceremony meets the requirements of the official photo. Lined up on three levels, in tight rows, we think of the poster of the Choristes while watching, chests out, the students Dupont, Ramos or Ntamack in their red and black uniforms, surrounding the master, dressed all in black: it is now exactly ten years that Ugo Mola has been coaching Toulouse, a virtually impregnable citadel where the slightest crack confers an anomaly. "At the beginning, I ate stones," recalls the mentor, however, in reference to results below expectations, in a city of aficionados where, "even in the event of victory, you can be accused of having played badly." Which has clearly not been the case for some time, with a third consecutive national title last June – bringing the total to twenty-four, plus six on a continental scale.

A summer break too short for his liking, and off we go again for Ugo Mola, an hour later, wearing a black polo shirt