Ep 222 - Toulouse preview with Rosbifs Rugby pod - crumbs of comfort and food, drink and entertainment recommendations!

In this special preview episode Pete is joined by Rob from the Rosbifs Rugby pod.

He gives us the lowdown on what to expect from Toulouse on Saturday. It's not particularly optimisitc but there are a few crumbs of comfort and who knows, stranger things have happened?

Equally, or maybe even more importantly, the second half of the chat is all about what to do when you get out there this weekend including going to watch Colomiers vs Dax on Friday night as well as following his recommendations for places to eat, drink and be merry whatever the result!

Marche Victor Hugo - classic French market:

Click here for location

La Voie Maltee - craft beer bottle shop for takeaways to enjoy by the river:

Click here for location

La Bierographe - bar for craft beer nerds:

Click here for location

Chez Tonton - Student bar by the river. A bit rowdy but a Toulouse institution:

Click here for location

The Hopscotch Pub - Scottish bar with beers brewed in house:

Click here for location

Little Big Bar - small bar with good beer and a decent mixed platter. Lots of restaurants on the same street:

Click here for location

Pub O'clock - next to Marche Victor Hugo. A big sports bar with good range of beers.

Click here for location

Le Dahu - Great value restaurant with traditional 3-course meal and amazing Dauphinoise potato. 

Click here for location

Finally, Rosbifs Rugby favorite place - a small wine bar with generous pourings. Listen to the end of the pod to find out its name!

Transcript

Welcome And Match Context

SPEAKER_00 0:05

You're listening to Bears Be on the Gay, a Bristol Bears podcast made by fans for fans, with three friends who love the club, the game, and all things bears. Each episode we talk about a game that's gone, a game that's about to come, and anything else fairs related. However, sometimes we do the odd interview or docupod, and this is one of them. I'm Pete and I'm not joined by Leo Miles, but rather I'm joined by Rob from Roast Beast Rugby Pod, who is gonna give us a preview of Saturday's Champions Cup round of 16 away match against Toulouse. Well, Rob, this is your second appearance in Fairs Beyond the Gate. Uh for those listeners are loyal listeners, they may remember you from your very informative preview gave us when we were playing Poe in the early stages of the uh thing. And you also went to that game as well. So um I did in the end, yeah. Yeah, you you backed up your words with a bit of action. So we were very proud of you as an honorary member of the pod. So anyway, you we uh we thought, well, let's get back in touch. Um Bristol have got have been rewarded by playing well in the uh group games by an away game at Toulouse. Uh this comes on the back of a fairly disappointing both result and performance at our big day out in Cardiff on Saturday. But I guess my first question to you is uh, you know, can you give us a little bit of a an overview of what you think um it's gonna be like on Saturday and perhaps just give us some glimmers of hope that we might get a result?

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Well, yeah, it's um I find it we we we kind of struggle, me Rich and I, my my fellow Rosbeef, um to talk too much about Toulouse and Bordeaux because because they're the the teams that people that watch Champions Cup see a lot of, and obviously they they make up a lot of the France team. So I think it was 11 of the 23 in that that epic game in Paris a few weeks ago where we're Toulouse players. Um so it's kind of it's very hard to say like too many big statements that are new or or different, but I think there is always we can have always feels there's a bit more subtle opinion around the fringes around Toulouse and Bordeaux, and and Toulouse of them I think are fallible, and I would I think Toulouse for the first time recently and possibly over the weekend, they won um at home to Montpellier at the weekend. On the face of it, they they are I think 11 from 11 at home with nine attacking bonus points in that, and in France you have to score three more tries in the opposition rather than just the standard four. So you've got to you've got to be clear uh by quite some way to get an attacking bonus, and they are they're basically averaging about 50 points a game at home. Um, so it seems strange to say, after a yet another home win where they racked up 45 points or whatever, that I actually for the first time feel Toulouse are genuinely fallible. Um, the reason for that, there's a few reasons for that, but that that point, that game in particular, it looked like Toulouse were going to run away with it. Montpellier were second coming into it, so they'd got a really good away win the week before against Claremont. They were they'd got themselves up to second, so it was first for second, and they made 14 changes to their starting lineup. Um but it looked like it still looked like quite a strong Montpellier squad, but suggests that maybe they're they're gonna concentrate on their challenge cup. I think they went through as top seeds, and and and quite you do see quite a lot of the kind of the bit behind the stat of they Toulouse have got so many attacking bonus points at home. A few teams just throw in the towel, a few teams are like we're not gonna win, we'll just take that as a rest week, effectively, for our for our best players. And Montpellier seemed to have gone for that approach and they leaked a load of tries in the first half. Looked like Toulouse were gonna rack up a mammoth score, but they ended up fighting back and got a few tries, and actually they denied Toulouse the the attacking bonus point, which is yeah, two out of eleven sides have done that this year, so it is quite rare, and it was essentially a a second team, or not like it still had plenty of international talent, um, but they were able to get back into the game, and I think there's a that to me hints at an element of fallibility uh about Toulouse that we perhaps haven't seen in in recent years, and I think in 2026, and possibly the back end with that defeat away to to Glasgow, they have shown a little bit of fallibility. I part of me thinks it's like a an arrogance or a boredom almost of kind of we don't need you I'd caveat this heavily with uh they've not had to try that hard yet, and so maybe in the get like if they need to, they could all all just click into gear and you know they've got we've yet to see the best of DuPont, but Ramos was was sensational on Saturday and has obviously had a really good six nations, so there is an element of like if they click into gear when it matters, you know, if they get them like they've got that champion quality, they could they could do something, do some real damage. But I think I think bull I think um Bristol have got a chance to to kind of give you a bit of comfort.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Do you think that they do you do you think they'll bother that much about analysing us, or do you think they'll just assume that because they're at home, they've moved it to the football stadium, they're gonna have a big crowd, that they that they don't really need to do much analysis on us? And and my second question on that is do you think they're actually the one fallibility they might have is that they're actually looking towards the quarterfinal because they'll make the assumption that Bordeaux will beat Tigers? And of course, it's quite brutal to have two back-to-back games, and of course, the harder game in their eyes is bound to be the Bordeaux game. So I just does that give us any any comfort there that they might just sort of be a bit complacent?

Bristol Injuries And Forward Battle

SPEAKER_01 6:30

I think I think they're gonna be less complacent now in the in the Champions Cup in at this stage than they will be in the top 14 because they are off the top of my head like 12 points clear, having had a two-point deduction as well. So they're they're quite some way clear in the top 14, so they can afford to, you know, they don't need the killer instinct quite as much, and they've they've they've not looked as good away from home in a few top 14 games, but I think we saw last year that they they they they prioritise or they they love the Champions Cup as much as as anyone, really, and they will put a full strong, full strength side out this weekend with a view to actually using it to build momentum. But most importantly, they want to they'll look to win and they'll look to win next week, and that there is a kind of expectation around Toulouse that they this is when they you know they win these games, they win these big knockout games. So I don't think it's kind of I don't think they'll take take their eye off the ball in that sense. I d the one on analysis is interesting. Like I think there is a slightly lazy sense that that Toulouse training is is Hugo Moller chucks the ball in the air and some and says Jue and they all just kind of go around and do whatever they want. But I think there is a lot more the sense you get on the inside is there is a lot more detail and um coaching and analy and thought that goes into the Toulouse game plan than than people might think. I don't know how much analysis they do of opposition. Um we certainly I know it's it's it's not like for like as much as it some people might think it is, but Fabien Gaultier certainly tweaked his game plan during the Six Nations to adjust for opposition teams in terms of how he rotated his his back five of the scrum and stuff like that. I think Hugo Moller will and Toulouse will have looked at at Bristol for sure. I think the fact that they kind of get like ran Bordeaux relatively close in the group stage. I think the fact that they were probably a little bit undone by Glasgow away as well suggests that I think they'll probably pay a bit more attention and might have given them a bit of a kick up the ass for this tournament, if anything.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

I mean one of our biggest problems, I think, and that was on Saturday in Cardiff, but but potentially is our biggest issue is that we've lost Pedro Rubiolo and Joe Batley to injury since the Six Nations, and I think that is one of the big, big, big issues we've got. And I and I and I just I think that is is putting us at a huge disadvantage. I was just out of interest, and and the two guys that are in there, James Dunn and Joe Owen, local Bristol boys, are brilliant. You know, they're great players. James Dunn is like a he's he's had more than 50 appearances in the premiership for for Bristol, but he is off to Kahlequins at the end of the season. Joe Owen is our kind of up and coming. But and I love both those. I think they're brilliant players, but I don't think they quite have the the grunt that Battley and Rubiolo would have had. Just out of interest, the teams haven't been announced, but who would be playing in the second row for Toulouse? Do you envisage? It it will almost certainly be Thibaut Flamon and Manamiafu.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Many Miyafu, yeah, yes, Manamiafu was due to he was due to play last week but sat it out. He was named originally. I think he picked up some sort of minor injury. I think he's the what I saw, he was due to be fit.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Can we just clarify that Miyafu is that massive bloke that plays with France?

SPEAKER_01 10:02

Yeah, and and uh I think for us, Rich and I kind of decided that he was probably France's best forward. Um, on the when he was on the pitch, he was France's best forward in the Six Nations. I think he's he's re-found some form that he he had a slight dip. Um, and he is you know, like he we we were looking at it ahead of the Italy game when he or yeah, the Italy game when he first came back into the starting lineup. He's 20 kilos heavier than than Michael Giard, who is a decent sized international lock. Um he's 145 kilos, it's it's big, it's really big. And I think that makes a difference that that level, but Flamont himself is is sizeable and they're both they're both brilliant ball in hand, yeah and brilliant at uh uh they do a lot of like hard. It's one thing I do notice about Toulouse, it feels really niche, but I've noticed it, and as soon as you notice it, you kind of you can't unsee it. But they do a lot of like hard rucking, yeah, like a lot of proper actual old school counter rucking and stuff like that. And obviously, like having having Jack Willis in your back row helps slow down an opposition ball to to be able to set up a proper ruck and stuff like that. But they but Flamont and Miyahfu do do a lot of that dirty work as well as as well as the outrageous offloading game.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

I mean, you just yeah, you just reminded me that they've got Jack Willis, I forgot about that. Um yeah, I mean that that uh that does sound quite ominous because one of the problems we had on Saturday was that Harlequins absolutely destroyed us at the breakdown, particularly Alice, Alex Dombrandt, um, and so forth. But having said that, last year when we had our final group game at Claremont, James Dunn and Joe Owen actually played then, and they played pretty well. And they and I we know James Dunn quite well, and he told us that it was one of his best, like he the he got really inspired by the crowd and by the whole occasion, and actually they played pretty well, and and we were very close to to we threw it away at the end and blah blah blah. So yeah, I mean that is quite frightening, I've got to say, but and those boys, but those boys know what they gotta do, and uh so you know who knows?

SPEAKER_01 12:12

I think there's um I think there's a general general perception that all French packs are massive and they're all the top 14 is just this one big grind. I'd say certainly last season's iteration of Claremont was very much that we are big blokes, we are gonna maul, we are gonna run directly. It was 10-man rugby or or give it to a winger that's that's a flair player, but generally it was 10-man rugby physicality. Um so it's a good sign for Bristol if if you felt like um like Dun and Owen did well last year at Claremont because Claremont are a big pack. To lose Toulouse are not light years ahead of everyone. They I think I feel like we we don't we don't we wouldn't consider them a a forward one of the forward powerhouses in the top 14, which is ridiculous. They probably score as many mall tries as anyone else, they probably score get as many scrum penalties as anyone else. But there is a if you're gonna get uh to lose anywhere, up front would be one of them. Uh even though, which is mad given they've you know it's it's gonna be Marchand, it's gonna be Aldaguri, it's gonna probably be Rodrigue Netty as well. So you've got three front rowers there that all played in the Six Nations for France. Aldegieri is is not a fearsome scrummager, I think fans have seen that. Joel Merkler, the young Spanish guy, is is kind of really developed. He's he's come on quite a lot, so they do now have a little bit more scrum solidity if they have that, but they're not you can get at them in the forward pack, which is mad because they're all massive French internationals. But it it I I would say one of when I was thinking about the the Trump cards, I think um I was kind of thinking it's funny, the the the two teams that have the most the two English teams that have the most daunting trips in in Bristol and and Leicester, they are probably and I think Leicester might be going a little bit weaker, which is I I'm a Leicester fan, so I'm absolutely livid about that. But Leicester are probably the team you'd back to play against Bordeaux, and I'd say Bristol are possibly the team that you'd back over most to play against Toulouse. Like I, you know, as much as Bath and Northampton are excellent this season, I I'd I'd fancy Bristol just as much as I'd fancy Northampton against against Toulouse. And of course, Genji Genji Genji is a Trump card. Is he gonna play though?

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Oh, yeah, yeah. He got his week, he he well, he better, unless he's injured, he he had his week off when we played Tigers straight after the sixth nation. So he and I think he was held back for both the big game out, he didn't have a great game, to be fair, but he's a proud guy. And also he's he played in that you know that England France game. He he he's he knows what to do. And if we uh who knows, if we get a few early scrum penalties and the narrative goes with us, get kicked to the corner. You know, I it there's rugby's a funny old game, as we all know, and and momentum can shift. And and as France proved, you know, you get under their skin when England did and played played it played a slightly different game, it it kind of went all chaotic. So I think you've you've given us a little bit of hope there. A tiny little bit.

Midfield Gaps Bristol Can Target

SPEAKER_01 15:24

I think I think that's the other the other area of of fallibility for for Toulouse and the area that I think the kind of possible laziness comes into it slightly is is in the centres. I don't think they quite know at the moment who their best centre pairing is. My sense is that it will probably be Chocabarras, Argentina International, and Pieloui Barrassi. Yeah, or Calvin Gorge, who's the kind of young guy who you might play 13, or Gorge and Barassi. But I would I would say they should be playing Chocobaras for some defensive solidity. Pieroi Barassi has is a very good player, he plays very well for Toulouse, he's he's been a bit um he's not shown he's not he's not quite done enough at international rugby, I'd say. And something that's correct in I've noticed in international rugby, and him and Moafana for France have had some real issues with just complete disconnect in in defence. And I'm not a huge analyst, but you don't need to be like the most hard like anal analyst rugby fan to notice just complete massive gaping holes. And Barasi seems to love to fly up a little bit, or the communication isn't there. So maybe may so I think possibly in midfield Bristol again might have have a bit of joy in terms of picking holes, and there does seem to be the odd gap, like we saw it against Glasgow. I th I think it was Paul Cost who was playing then with possibly with Gorge. Um they're making errors defensively in in wider channels, and I think that again that suits from what I see of Bristol anyway. I you guys watch much more than I do, but we I mean to be a strength Bristol's.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Yeah, I mean we've got Bernard Yancy van Rensburg, and funnily enough, he was on the bench on Saturday with the first time ever and came on. But I I I think he'll start, it'll be James Williams and him starting Tom Jordan at I mean, you know, you look at our you know, we there'll be a debate. Possibly Harry Randall probably will start Tom Jordan 10, Jim James Williams inside 12, but of Jansen van Rensburg 13, Lewis Reezamet will probably be fullback again. It sounds good. I mean, there's some really good players there, and and actually was Barasi the guy that played for France last year when we beat them at Twickenham with that last try Elliott Daly scored. Yeah, and he yeah, because he he he yeah, I remember thinking that centre he wasn't at the races on that last that last few minutes. So yeah, that gives me hope. So fair fans out there.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

Um yeah, they put 70 points on Italy the following week, and they but they still conceded 24. And that I seem to remember was was Barrassi as well. Yeah, but as soon as as soon as him and Mofana got named to start against Scotland, no, to get against England this year. I sort of immediately saw something on on Twitter saying the Elliott Daily in a French kind of journalist saying the Elliott Daily try from last year. People will remember that. Yeah, they obviously didn't have a great time in that second half once Depoltaire went off against against Scotland. So he's a brilliant player, like he's a very, very he's a kind of all or not like all or all or all sort of player. He kind of gives it everything an attack, runs it from anywhere, very powerful, like a really cool, like a fun player to watch, but I think there's an element of chaos that doesn't always suit or it doesn't is is fallible, makes makes Toulouse fallible.

Friday Night Bonus Rugby In Toulouse

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Well, maybe chaos is what we need. Um right, I think you've you've given us enough there. That I think that's that hopefully anybody's listening to this who's going to the game will have a glimmer of hope. And and who knows. So uh latest reports were there's 1200 Bristol fans going. Um so I guess they're all flying, most if they're flying out, they'll all be flying out on Friday. Um so I mean the second half of of this was you you know to lose, I guess, better than most Bristol fans who are going out there. Uh there the game's on Saturday night. I think the flight isn't back till Monday. Um, so what do you reckon? What what sort of places should they go? I'm sure they're gonna absolutely have a fantastic time regardless of what happens with the rugby, uh, brilliant rugby city. A few tips for uh for uh for our fans.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Well, I uh I have you mentioned it there, brilliant rugby city. My number one recommendation, I don't know what time the flight is on Friday, but I'm just trying to look online, but there will be tickets. Friday evening, Colomier are hosting Dax uh at 7:30 in at the Stade Michel Bindish Bondechou, which is Colomier's kind of suburbs of Toulouse. It's actually quite near the airport. Um you can get uh seats in the stands for 10 euros. Wow. Um just uh there doesn't look oh no, there's a few, there's a few dotted around. Um for a little bit of additional context, Colomier are currently second in Pro des. So they they beat Provence last week, who are one of the big budget sides preparing for for the top 14. Colomier are they are having a brilliant season. They they finished third last year. They they have been trying to build themselves in the identity of Toulouse in a way, kind of bring players through the academy. They play some fantastic rugby, so they are uh they're a kind of if the scrum holds up, they will win sort of team because they're always going to outscore the opposition. Um they've actually uh their fly half is actually a guy that's on loan from Toulouse, a guy called Valentin Delpi, who is absolutely brilliant. I think he's I think this season he missed his first ever top 14 kick in like his 10th game or something. Um but he's he's he'll play for France, he's like 22. He's he's he was on loan at Perpignon last year, but they're playing Dax at home at 7.30 on Friday evening, which I've fully recommended.

Markets Walks And Game Day Build-Up

SPEAKER_00 21:31

It's a sold-out flight from Bristol. It's uh it's one o'clock, gets in at 3 55, 4 o'clock. So there's time. So ideal. What about we've we've got about 10 minutes left on my Zoom call here. So let's say get through Friday. What would what should Bears fans be doing kind of all day Saturday to sort of get ready for the game Saturday evening?

SPEAKER_01 21:53

The big thing Saturday, um, Saturday morning, and it's generally in the city. is to go to this is this is the most unoriginal recommendation ever but to go to the Marsha Victor Hugo which is uh traditional French market indoors um it's got all of the it's uh it's a it's an attack on the senses you know you've got all your kind of fat covered duck legs and stuff like that but there's a bar there's a few bars there you can you can actually take drinks outside and take all your wares from the market and just there's just some freestanding tables just outside but there'll definitely be quite a lot of people there going for the match and sometimes there's like the brass band there to kind of build the atmosphere in the morning um it's it's a it's just got a buzz about it that is amazing. Upstairs at the Marche Victor Hugo there are a load of restaurants that are you kind of prefix a 25 euros for three courses sort of thing 30 euros for three courses you get traditional French food you get some great wine you can kind of go to the duck place or you can go to the steak restaurant or the fish restaurant you know it's kind of got a bit of variety up there. Go and get your casserole that's the traditional local Toulouse dish. Yes the Marché Victor Hugo is where it's at Saturday morning that's the the main one the being at the football stadium is is interesting. You can it's walkable I'd say from the city centre um and you walk along the river you kind of walk along like a a little bit of a canal but and it's not not the not necessarily the the most scenic but it's it's quite nice if the sun's out um on your I would say kind of with the river so the the the Garonne and the bridges are kind of quite iconic in in Toulouse. You could if you've got good weather on the Friday evening you can just get some beers from from anywhere but there's a couple of craft beer places um that I can I can recommend that um you can just go and get some cans from there and sit on the steps and just soak in the sunset. It's like a a really cool thing to do. There'll be loads of people it's quite a big student population to lose so there's always like quite a buzz around around some of the areas like there's a there's a bar that called Shay Tonton um which is where the to where to lose go for their like day three of their celebrations when they've won their latest top 14 title or whatever. Which is a if you're if you're if you're a student or you're you're a younger than you and I Pete then go there because it is lively but there's around there there's kind of it's right by the river um and there's a few other bars around Shaitant um that are good fun.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

You guys are quite into your beers aren't you oh yeah well yeah well we are but I'm sure there's quite a lot I mean I imagine I don't know what the profile the demographic of most of the Bears fans going out probably are beer or cider drinkers.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

So I don't know about I don't know too about cider that much but in France or not in that part of France not in that part no bit just stick with the beer yeah um so there's a few places there's a place called the Bierra Graph which is um it's a it is proper kind of craft beer place it's kind of quite quite an extensive list if you're a real nerd about it like I am um if you want something a bit more like less specialist a little bit more with a bit more buzz there is the Hopscotch pub which I'm sure Bristol has probably got taken over but it is a Scottish pub okay uh but it does actually have a brewery like in-house like it does brew a few of their own beers um there is also a bar that I really like called Little Big Bar which is um kind of down by the river not quite as far down as Chaetonton but it's not far from there and it's quite a small bar but they've got some tables outside they will show sport they will show live sport so I've watched the Ryder Cup there I've watched Pro desgo up to the bar and ask them um but they've got a couple of like decent beers on tap you can get a little mixed platter. I would say about Little Big Bar as well is like there's a few really good restaurants along there you might need to book but it's on that road where Little Big Bar is um we go we love uh a place called Le Dahoo which is along there um for like a really good value set menu the Dauphin Oise is sensational um and but there's a few kind of quite cool little interviews around there that sounds right because I was just looking the flight back from Bristol's not till Monday 10 o'clock so people have got all day Sunday to uh to then relax and check out some of these places as well and have a nice lunch I imagine and and so on. Yeah the ah the place that I've just found it the place that I've been to for for kind of local craft beers to pick up some cans if you were if you did want to go and sit by the river is a place called Lavoie Malt Molte. So V-O-I-E and then M-A-L-T-E-E. And Richard uh my fellow Ross Beef will definitely shout at me if I don't say and I say this with absolute zero irony this is a genuine recommendation next to the Marche Victor Hugo is a sports bar with a decent range of decent range of beers called pub o'clock and that is that is that is a genuine recommendation we go we generally go there every time that we go to Toulouse we've watched I think we watched I think we watched France v Croatia in the the Qatar World Cup in there it was absolutely ramp but they've got loads of screens good beer range you can get you can get like you can get punk IPA if you if that's what you want you can get your kind of standard lagers but they've got a few kind of local yeah uh I think they do Kilkenny they do Kilkenny or Murphy's or something like that but it's it's not it's kind of the halfway house between a French pub a French bar and a like overseas Irish bar but yeah just say the name Parber clock and it's a easy to remember as well yeah I reckon there'll be a lot of punters there.

Best Bars Plus A DM Secret

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Well look Rob it's uh we're we're getting close to the end of my free Zoom call but I think you've given us a load of stuff I might actually ask you if you don't mind you could maybe you could just text me the names of those and I'll put them in the show notes so people can uh can look at it uh list to it I think that's absolutely fine that's brilliant I will also give you personally Pete and the the other guys uh the the name of my my favourite one of my genuinely one of my favourite bars in in the world it's a little wine bar down a side street where you can get some amazing natural wine good quality wine for about five euros for a generous glass it's quite hidden and I'm and it's our like special little secrets that that we have on Ross Beef so I will I will give it to you uh and you can divulge it to whoever you want.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

Okay. But maybe maybe any any close personal friends. I've I've got a friend that's a Bristol fan he's going out for the game and I said you've got to go there. So that's like it's like my number one recommendation but it's it's a it's a little tap on the nose hush hush one.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Maybe we have to get we have to get DMs for that one just to see.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

If you if if anyone's listening to this and they want it you've got to slide into our DMs we're we're Ros Beast rugby on all social media so I'll tell you well that'd be a good challenge see if people do listen to the end.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

If if people if people send a DM to us probably Twitter or or our email and they make the effort to do it I will divulge the name of this very special bar as a bit of an incentive to to loyal listeners who listen to the end. Because I'm not sure how many do. Well look on that note I think we should leave it there. That's absolutely brilliant. Well look really appreciate it really appreciate the time um I'm sure that those people going out will enjoy listening to the pod hopefully on their flight out and and uh and I hope we've given them a little bit of optimism but I know that the Bears fans are just going to go out there for a great weekend anyway um because it's not often we've been starved of glory days to be honest over the years. So hopefully this will just be the first of many trips out to France we we hope. And who knows there might be another one to Bordeaux. Yeah might see you in Bordeaux the following weekly absolutely well look great stuff thanks very much for coming on keep up the good work with uh the roast beast rugby I should say to people as a who fancy a little bit of an alternative sort of rugby nausea out there that like to know what's going on. It's a fantastic podcast all about um French rugby and uh I've listened to it a few times and really enjoyed it because it's just quite nice to to get away from English rugby from time to time especially uh when you're not winning so um thanks so much I really appreciate it and uh have a great week. Cheers thanks very much for having me. Au revoir