On the contrary, everything has changed. You just said it yourself. The Top 14 has taken on an importance that it never had before. That's the change.
The other big change with past decades, Toulouse no longer wants to play ball with FFR. The club does not want to continue providing internationals under the present circumstances, if it means the club's future and survival in the Elite is at stake.
This is what I said. Get your internationals elswhere because right now it doesn't take a genius like you to see the Toulousains currently in the national squad do not want play for PSA and his clique.
In other words. You're going to get what you pay for. a No8 like Picamoles who goes on the June tour but is unable to play. Don't you get it.
OOPS. You are making strictly no point here with Clermont as they have won NOTHING in Europe unlike us. They are the biggest chokers :lol:. We never had that problem.
there are issues in your post throughout. Firstly, let's not confuse things: the Top 14 is what has changed, it has become stronger, but it isn't just because the Top 14 has risen its overall level that Toulouse are finding trouble being dominant. You can't just attribute a team's downfall exclusively to its hostile environment. Toulouse have much more than just other Top 14 sides being good to worry about. The very problem is internal, I repeat, it is not 'peripheral'. Their attacking has been stale, uninspired. Their troops have looked barely motivated at all, think the Connacht game. They've been outplayed in every fact of the game on the highest stage where they usually come through (think Munster). They've even lost at home to Racing, and what an ugly show for Novès in the corridor with Fritz. They have the highest, maybe second highest salary cap in all of Top 14 Rugby, let's ponder on what that equates to for a second money wise, and have great players all over the XV's, with good depth. They sometimes look dismantled, all over the place.
Then, as you say Toulouse don't want to give their players to France anymore because their season is at stake, that's a position of weakness. Nobody was complaining or sounding out the alarm when Toulouse were still winning, Novès ball was still working, all the while providing France some players just 3 and 4 years ago. It means Toulouse have not adapted to modern French Rugby, and elite modern French Rugby particularly, as Clermont in particular has. It means they've failed so badly internally to keep up with the rest, being head barely above water level, that they can't afford to even be the eternal French stronghold they've always been and are meant to be. They're counted on to provide some good players, Toulouse provides good players, that's just an age-old, immutable rule of French Rugby.
Then, as if it wasn't clear the first time, Clermont have been an example of what a contemporary, present-day strong French club should be like in terms of being strong on both fronts, local and European, establishing a strong and efficient rotation system, and still providing a high number of players for country. Whether they choked, lost an H Cup final (which Toulouse gladly would've settled for in 2013 or 2014, seeing what happened to them both years...) or whatever is perfectly irrelevant to the fact they've produced both strong seasons on both fronts AND managed to provide France with players without whining every - single - weekend.
Also: Toulouse players don't want to play for France ? PSA and his clique are pathetic, but you look at how guys like Nyanga, Tolofua, Maestri, Huget, Dusautoir have played as of 2014 for France and wonder just how biased that remark is.
And you tell me Clermont are chokers, I'm not talking about anything but these last 2, 3 years. Toulouse would've been delighted to have Clermont's home streak, make an H Cup Final and be generally of Clermont's mettle. Nobody even remembers what Toulouse has done the past two years in either H Cup or Top 14 playoffs, ppl only remember Castres, Clermont and Toulon.
Le mal est profond. I do think Toulouse can bounce back, although I'm positive they'll win nothing this year. They just don't have what it takes, collectively.
