James Coughlan led an invasion of Irish coaches into Dublin in the final week of the European club campaigns when the Toulon squad landed last Tuesday, prior to training at Carton House on Wednesday – ample evidence of their intent for Friday night’s Challenge Cup final against Glasgow at the Aviva Stadium (8pm).
Toulon won all three Champions Cup finals they contested between 2013 and 2015, but they have lost all four Challenge Cup deciders, and last year’s defeat by Lyon rankles.
Eighth domestically, this is their chance of a first trophy in eight seasons before their final home game against Bordeaux next weekend and to also secure qualification for the Champions Cup.
Yet for Coughlan, an assistant coach working on their lineout and defence, with the retiring Sergio Parisse becoming part of the coaching ticket, that Bordeaux game will also be his last with Toulon, with no new job in the pipeline.
That seems a waste of a sharp rugby knowledge and impressive coaching CV, and such are the choppy French waters, who knows what might materialise yet.
“If something comes up during the year, it comes up. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m not going to stress too much about it. I’m not bitter. That’s the job we’re in. I’ll do my master’s and bits and bobs, and get my head out.
“It’s been 20 years now that I’ve been doing the same thing every two years,” says the former Munster and Pau number eight, who ran the Pau academy for three seasons, before also coaching with Aix, Brive and for the last two seasons at Toulon.
“I didn’t take a break at all. Most fellahs when they retire will come out of the game a small bit. I need to take more control of it myself rather than always be hanging on.”
Pierre Mignoni became the director of rugby, his fifth stint at his hometown club, a year ago and akin to last season Toulon have had a strong second half to their campaign. Especially so in the Challenge Cup, beating Benetton 23-0 in the semi-finals despite a seventh-minute red card for Charles Ollivon, which was subsequently dismissed.
Toulon will also be coming up against a Glasgow attack marshalled by ex-Connacht assistant Nigel Carolan. “It’s very good,” says Coughlan. “On their synthetic pitch they’re quite deep. They like to play wide-wide, they’ve loads of different variations and set-piece attacks. They’ve a new one every week.
“They’ve some powerful men as well, like Sione Tuipolutu. It’s basically the Scottish team – they’ve 17 in there – and that attack is quite similar. There’s a good mix between power and speed. We’re going to have to be very good.”
Coughlan will be an interested observer of Saturday’s Champions Cup final between Leinster and La Rochelle, who beat Toulon 23-8 at the Stade Mayol a fortnight ago.
“They’re good, man,” says Coughlan of Ronan O’Gara’s team, chuckling at such an understatement. “They’re more than good. They’re very good; very, very effective. Two times in the 22 – 14 points. Big men. Very switched on defensively and very aggressive. The first four men sprint off the line. In attack, they’ve got some powerful men, and the big boys up front.
“I think they’re actually even better than last year to be honest with you.”
Coughlan cites the arrival last summer of outhalf Antoine Hastoy, whom he played with at Pau, centre UJ Seuteni and Teddy Thomas, and as well as Ultan Dillane and says: “Their bench is stronger than last year as well.”
He likens hooker Pierre Bourgarit to Keith Wood in his pomp. “Now that’s giving him the biggest compliment I could ever give him, to be fair. He’s like an extra backrower but he likes the hard stuff as well.
“I think Leinster will have their work cut out for them, I really do. La Rochelle are probably more confident than last year as well.”
Coughlan stresses that Leinster have earned their home route to the final, the same as Toulon, but while this final is also in Dublin, he says: “I have a sneaky feeling that La Rochelle have enough to do it. This is their third final. They’ve beaten Leinster in a semi-final and a final.
“Now, Leinster will have learned from that final, when they overplayed their hand an awful lot, rather than just being more tactical in their kicking, and playing in the right zones.
“That was a major thing for us in our analysis of La Rochelle, you have to get out of the 40 [metre] zones,” says Coughlan, highlighting how they contest over the ball at every ruck, be it Levani Botia, Jonathan Danty, Gregory Alldritt, Will Skelton, or Bourgarit, or Will Skelton and Uini Atonio counter-rucking. “And their counterattack is really effective and powerful.”
Coughlan cites La Rochelle’s round of 16 game.
“Gloucester had 10 or 12 phases on the 22 – turnover, scrum for La Rochelle, three phases later they’re under the sticks, seven points. So, that transition zone is the key for Leinster.
“The La Rochelle maul is very strong. Donnacha [Ryan] has them very well drilled. They’ll come up like animals at the back of the lineout and the first five will smash whatever’s in front of them. They will leave space, and Leinster may exploit that with kick passes, but they’re extras.”
“Leinster have international quality players who know what it’s like to play against France and their power game. But any chance you have to score against them, you have to take it. If you don’t, they’re going to punish you, because they’re so effective in the scoring zone.”
In addition to O’Gara and Ryan, Coughlan has a third former Munster team-mate at La Rochelle in Sean Dougall, also a team-mate at Pau, who is their contact skills and ruck coach.
“You can tell. It’s very, very good. Dougs was a good old groundhog in his day.”
“I see La Rochelle every week and I experienced them two weeks ago. You have your game plan, our lineout was 94 per cent, our scrum was 92 per cent, our ruck retention was 96 per cent, our time in possession was 21 minutes, and you finish the game beaten 23-8, and you’re scratching your head going: ‘How the hell did that happen?’
“We missed two penalties, and gave away three in the transition zone which cost us 16 points through three penalties and a kick to the corner.
“Maybe it’s because the three boys are there, and not seeing Leinster all year round, but I’d go for La Rochelle.”
