Bears ready for Toulouse

Toulouse Olympique v Coventry Bears
Kingstone Press League One Round 1
Saturday Match 5th
Kick off 3.30pm (GMT 2.30pm)
Stade de Mini mes

This weekend the Bears travel away to France in the opening round of League one and face the challenge of promotion chasing Toulouse Olympique.

Bears Head Coach Tom Tsang said:

"Last week we really took the game to Keighley and showed some great improvement in attack. I am confident we can score a lot of points against any side in the League, we just need to up our efforts and smarts in defence.

This week is an exciting time for the club. We achieved many milestones last year, and now to be travelling to face Toulouse in a league game really brings it home how far we have come.

The playing group has really bought into everything we are trying to achieve and despite a couple of losses in pre-season I am really expecting a successful season for us.

Toulouse have built a bit of an aura about them since being announced as joining the league and we will go into the unknown down there.

But we have some seasoned players on our roster now who will be doing everything to make our trip to France successful.

We also have a few younger players who have come through local pathways. We handed a debut to young standoff Charlie O'mara last week who is from Derby. He performed exceptionally, scoring a brace and setting up another. Also big Prop forward Trae Osullivan and winger Hayden Freeman are both Coventry lads who have played in all our warm up games and showed glimpses of good things to come."

Bears Managing Director Alan Robinson commented:

"This is probably the biggest game in the clubs history and to be playing away in France representing the city makes it very special. It will be a big occasion and having played over there myself will be tough. Toulouse will want to lay a marker down for the rest of the clubs in this game with a big performance but we have shown some glimpses of class on the field recently and I know the boys are ready to deliver and show everyone that Coventry is not just here to make up the numbers."

You can follow the Bears progress at 2.30pm GMT on Twitter HERE

Coventry Bears 19 Man Squad that has been named for the match.

Next week the Bears face Rochdale Hornets in their first home league game of the season on Sunday 13th March at the Butts Park Arena 3pm kick off.