Montauban

One to watch: Julien Laharrague

- 2008/9 Season Preview -

Club Details

Montauban Tarn et Garonne XV

Parc des Sports de Sapiac

188 rue Léo Lagrange

82000 Montauban

Stadium Capacity: 9,000

Website: www.mtgxv.com

Founded: 1903

Last time around: 7th A watershed season for Montauban who were near-unstoppable on home turf and qualified for the Heineken cup for the first time in their history. Toulouse were the only visiting club to leave the intimidating environment of Sapiac victorious - not bad for a club in only their second season in top flight of French rugby. Last season's massive, no-frills performance, especially from their forwards led by newly capped French internationals Yannick Caballero and Ibrahim Diarra, will be tough to repeat.

This time? The "green machine" have added strength to their back-line in the form of, amongst others, kiwi Shannon Paku and former Sale full-back Julien Laharrague. But serious questions must be asked to the depth of their squad considering they will now have to compete on two fronts - hosting Heineken Cup champions Munster will be a real test of their home record. Call us pessimists but European competition might be a bridge to far too soon for such a small club and they might suffer in the long run.

Coachs: Laurent Travers Laurent Travers A.K.A "Toto", who won the European Cup as a hooker with Brive in 1997, and Laurent Labit, who won 25 caps for France A and has coached Montauban since 2004, form a formidable coaching duo and have maintained an upward curve to Montauban's progression. They've spent their money wisely in the inter-season, but did they have enough to spend?

One to watch: Julien Larrahague has returned to France, after a year and a half at Sale in the Guinness Premiership, with ambitions of winning back a spot in the French national team. He brings a wealth of experience with him, but before thinking of Les Bleus he will have to win his place at full-back from Montauban's incumbent points scoring machine, Fabien Fortassin.

Final 2008/9 league position prediction: 10th

In: Abdelatif Boutaty (prop, Blagnac), Shannon Paku (wing, Wellington), Filimone Delasau (wing, Clermont), Régis Lespinas (scrum-half, Montpellier), Goderzi Shvelidze (prop, Clermont), Julien Laharrague (full-back, Sale), Antoine Battut (loose forward Auch), Silviu Florea (prop, Béziers), Cédric Rosalen (fly-half, Perpignan), Nick Adams (prop, Wasps), Brice Mach (hooker, Béziers), Julien Audy (scrum-half, Oyonnax), Fabrice Culinat (fly-half, Béziers)

Out: Pablo Henn (prop, Brive), Guillaume Bortolaso (loose forward, Colomiers), Cédric Garcia (scrum-half, Bayonne), Pascal Peyron (prop, Bourgoin), Tony Testa (hooker, Lyon), Patrick Blanco (prop, Mont-de-Marsan), Pablo Lemoins (retired), Sébastien Fauqué (fly-half, Toulon), Michael Pyke (full-back), Ryan Smith (centre), Seti Kiole (wing).

Colours: Green and Black

Tickets: 12 -25 euros

Travel connections:

By air: Montauban lies around 40km North of Toulouse, which gas an international airport.

By train: Parc des Sports de Sapiac lies about 1.4km from the train station, on the opposite side on the Tarn river in Montauban.

By car: From Toulouse take the A62 North towards Bordeaux and Montauban. Take exit 10 towards Montauban / Limoges. Then take exit 64 and follow the signs to "Sapiac."