Toby Flood commends 'fantastic show of solidarity'
Monday 16 November 2015 08:46, UK
Toby Flood admits his Toulouse team-mates have had a "pretty tough 24-48 hours" following the terror attacks in Paris on Friday.
The four-time European Champions took on Champions Cup Pool B opponents, Saracens, at Allianz Park less than 24 hours after news of the tragedy broke.
Toulouse were the only French side in cup action this weekend after it was announced that all games due to be held in France would be postponed until a later date.
Flood joined the rest of his teammates in singing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, as a show of solidarity before of the match on Saturday.
Saracens eventually ran out comfortable 32-7 victors on the night but Flood expects the result to be overshadowed by the weekend's events.
"We decided to sing the anthem during the day, and there was a bit of learning of words for me, but it was a fantastic show of solidarity" he said.
"However much it hurts to lose this game, it has been a pretty tough 24-48 hours for all those guys who have got friends and family who live in Paris and have lots of connections there.
"I think the guys actually wanted to play. They wanted to show they were ready for the game. But it was certainly a game that we realised the importance of, being the only French side to play."
The four French clubs due to host Champions Cup games this weekend, Racing 92, Oyonnax, Bordeaux-Begles and Toulon, will now have to rearrange their fixtures for a later date.
"It simply would not have been appropriate in the tragic circumstances to have staged the French-based games this weekend," said the European Professional Club Rugby chairman, Simon Halliday.
"We trust that the clubs and their fans who travelled abroad will understand why we took this decision in conjunction with the LNR.
"We are working to reschedule the postponed matches in what is already a crowded rugby calendar, and we hope to be in a position to announce the new dates next week."
