Gloucester on guard against Toulouse in Champions Cup curtain-raiser
Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann is wary of the threat posed by Toulouse as they prepare to launch the 2019-20 Heineken Champions Cup at Kingsholm tonight.
The French club were the inaugural European Cup winners 25 years ago and are the reigning Top 14 champions but are currently languishing in mid-table with four wins from their opening nine matches.
“You have to respect what they achieved last season and how their coaching staff have turned things around,” Ackermann told the club website.
“They have obviously given their World Cup players a bit of a break and started to filter them back in last week and you saw what they did to Clermont, who are one of the best sides in Europe but they easily beat them. They were the first winners of the competition 25 years ago and, when we were at the tournament launch last week, I got the impression that they’re going toputalotofemphasisontheir anniversary.
“I think they will come with their strongest side and really want to kickstart their campaign with a win.
“So I don’t think there will be a lack of motivation on their side and we must make sure we play our best game against a good opponent.”
Toulouse are without World Cup winger Cheslin Kolbe but are boosted by the return of a number of their French World Cup stars, including Yoann Huget, Maxime Medard and Romain Ntamack.
Ackermann has brought front rowers Val Rapava Ruskin and Jamal Ford-robinson into his side after they struggled in the scrum in backto-back Premiership defeats by Saracens and Leicester.
Ruan Ackermann replaces Jaco Kriel in the back row and Joe Simpson returns at scrum-half in place of Callum Braley.