JAMES HARRINGTON
FRENCH COLUMN

Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious whether a side is in good shape or not. A simple look at the Top 14 table coming into the weekend’s matches would suggest that Toulon have done reasonably well so far.
They stood fifth in the table after 14 rounds of the season – in the play-off zone – and just one win behind week-off league leaders Stade Francais. It has been a good few seasons – long before Pierre Mignoni’s arrival from Lyon – since they were so well placed at the midpoint of the campaign.
And yet, their season has stalled and fan anger is growing in ...