The one from 1996, at the advent of the professionalization of rugby union, does not have quite the same scope as the other two.
Firstly because the English clubs did not take part in what was that year the very first edition of the European Cup.
Emile Ntamack’s teammates, including current president Didier Lacroix and manager Ugo Mola, won 21-18 in the final on the Cardiff pitch after extra time.
A match played at the beginning of January, almost five months before the French championship, which allowed us to be fully involved in both competitions.
The Toulouse team, then coached by the emblematic Guy Novès, got the better of Brive (20-13) at the Parc des Princes in June, thanks in particular to a try from David Berty and drops from Christophe Deylaud and Thomas Castaignède.
We had to wait until 2014 to see a new double, by the great Toulon of Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Giteau and Bryan Habana, victorious over Saracens (23-6) in the European Cup final and Castres (18-10) in the Top 14 .
The most beautiful record in French and European rugby, Toulouse curiously had to wait a quarter of a century, until 2021, to lift two trophies again in the same season.
In a Twickenham stadium with a reduced capacity of 10,000 spectators due to Covid, the Red and Blacks beat La Rochelle for the first time (22-17), in the European Cup final, with a try from Argentinian Juan Cruz Mallia and kicks from Romain Ntamack.
They did it again a month later at the Stade de France in the championship, against the same Rochelais (18-8), without scoring a single try, but with two drop shots from Thomas Ramos and Cheslin Kolbe.
The Antoine Dupont generation only took three years to repeat this feat, with an epic Champions Cup final against Leinster (31-22 aet) in London and the 23rd Brennus shield in the club’s history, won in style against UBB on Friday at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
