Pierre Mignoni has chosen to step back. Five days after the heavy home defeat suffered by Toulon against Clermont (14-34), the Rugby Club Toulonnais manager has given himself a week off, with the blessing of his board, the club announced in a statement on Thursday 19 February.

Shaken by that reverse at Mayol, which saw the Var side drop out of the top six, the coach had shown his deep disappointment after the game, condemning a display “not worthy of Toulon” and pointing to a lack of commitment from his team.

Faced with questions about his ability to get the squad going again, Mignoni had spoken of the need to “think things over” and to “take his responsibilities“, leaving doubt hanging over the immediate future of his work. And, above all, over the future of his adventure at RCT. His decision to step away temporarily from the day-to-day running of the team fits that desire for distance, at a time when Top 14 is taking a break before resuming at the end of February.

In its statement, RCT backed its manager, stressing the commitment of the staff, the players and the board to getting back to a level of performance in keeping with the club’s ambitions, with the side involved both in the league and in the Champions Cup.

This breathing space comes at a pivotal time for Toulon, struggling with inconsistent results and now under pressure in the race for the play-offs, where the stability of the staff and the response of the squad will be decisive for the end of the season. One to watch…