Today, Toulouse wakes up with that strange flavour only sport can deliver, something part heartbreak, part celebration, part lump-in-the-throat nostalgia. A day when you will be able to feel the whole stadium breathing in unison, even while everyone’s feeling something slightly different.
We will bid a fond goodbye to Pita Ahki, a player who never just wore the jersey, he lived inside it. The kind of man who plays like he’s powered by heart rather than muscle. And you could see exactly what he meant to the squad when David Ainu’u spoke about him, voice cracking in that way that tells you the tears came long before the words. It wasn’t the polished farewell of a press release, it was raw, human, the sort of moment that reminds you why rugby people behave like one oversized family.
But Ernest Wallon never lets you drown in sadness for long. Because as one chapter closes, another will snap back open with that crackle of electricity only one man generates. The sound of Antoine Dupont’s boots walking down that familiar corridor, glancing at the memories of the days that inspired him as well as those he has helped to create alongside some of the most open, friendly and hard working players and staff I have had the pleasure to meet.
Tonight everyone will be upright to welcome him back onto the pitch after being away since that brutal injury against Ireland in the 6Nations back in March. And in true Toto style, he won’t need fireworks or grand entrances. One look, one quiet step onto the pitch and suddenly the whole place will feel taller, louder and more alive as he runs to take his place alongside the rest of the players. Our captain is home – where he belongs.
The contrast between the two men is almost poetic. Pita with his gentle gravity and speed of turn, the steady presence who anchors everyone around him. Toto with his bright spark energy, the maestro who lifts the tempo of a room just by walking into it. One leaving, one returning, both irreplaceable in their own unique ways.
It will be an emotional whiplash in the best possible sense. Tears rolling down my cheeks from one farewell, goosebumps from one return. And somewhere in the middle of that swirl, there will be pride. Pride in the culture this club builds. Pride in the bonds that make even the toughest men wipe their eyes. Pride in seeing someone we’ve missed for months come marching back with that quiet steel we’ve all been craving. A sense that the key member of the family is back, where he belongs and where his heart has lived since he picked up his first rugby ball.
Today isn’t going to be tidy; matches rarely are and Racing will, of course, be looking to spoil the party. It will be rugby at its most human. A goodbye wrapped around a welcome home. A reminder that Ernest Wallon isn’t just a stadium, it’s a beating heart and frissons. And some days, like tonight, it will beat a little louder and noisier than usual.
Last year I was there, watching Toto score 3 tries in under 10 minutes on his return from post Olympics rest; I’m not expecting anything of this order, but one thing is for sure, he has the abiilty to light up a game and that is a spark both we and the EdF have beem missing for quite some time…
Merci Pita
Bienvenue chez toi Toto
Photo by Marion P
