Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Friday June 28, 2024 at 11:06 p.m.
By inflicting a terrible beating (59-3) on a totally helpless Bordeaux-Bègles team, Friday evening in the Top 14 final in Marseille, Toulouse, led by a still dazzling Antoine Dupont, added a 23rd French champion title as well a new double to his incredible record, a year after having already lifted the Brennus Shield.
Toulouse lifts the Brennus Shield. It has almost become a habit. Friday night’s final, the first outside Paris, did not deviate from the rule in force in recent years. And it is practically without any surprise that these Toulousains already crowned last year have retained their property this season again. Titled for the 23rd time in its history, the club from the Ville Rose is not for nothing the record holder in this area, just as no one more than Stade Toulousain has celebrated as many Champions Cup crowns (six). Bordeaux-Bègles, martyred throughout the evening, paid the terrible price. Because there has never been a match on Friday on the pitch of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille (attendance record to boot) where Toulouse humiliated (59-3) a UBB team ridiculed from the first to the last minute. On this pitch, which did not only bring back good memories for the exceptional Toulouse scrum-half and now also playmaker of the French 7s team, Antoine Dupont was the first to cause trouble for the Girondins.
Nine tries, all for Toulouse!
As if by symbol, the player who had experienced his very first sending off (and only one to date) scored – on the first incursion of the now double French champions – the first try of this final which very quickly turned into a correction before turning into a real spanking. After Thomas Ramos, who also scored twice, became the club’s best scorer in history, thus making us forget Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, the best player in the world three years ago then played the passer for Peato Mauvaka before going to the ladies again himself. The Toulouse supporters, in heaven, had not seen anything yet: the tries were going to continue to rain down (nine in total, against none for the UBB) and the offensive waves of the Red and Blacks, certainly helped by the enormous errors sometimes made by their opponents, would crash down until the last second on the UBB in-goal area, which had all the makings of an open door on Friday. An incredible humiliation that allows this ruthless Toulouse team to sign a new double after its new European consecration last May. The players now trained by a hilarious Ugo Mola at the final whistle remain on ten finals won in a row. You said steamroller.
