Stade Toulousain, with its experience in finals against an opponent totally paralyzed by the stakes, humiliated Bordeaux-Bègles (59-3) on Friday in Marseille, winning its 23rd Brennus Shield and a third European Cup/Championship double after those of 1996 and 2021. Nine tries to zero and the biggest gap in the history of the finals. Toulouse did more than just recite its lesson, wrapping up the match from the first minutes to always lead the score and above all take control of the game.
A clinical Toulouse stadium
Maxime Lucu’s teammates may have defended furiously, tried, tried to play their rugby, but the Red and Blacks were far too strong. Yannick Bru, the Bordeaux coach, had warned on Thursday that a final must be played, not considered lucky to have taken part in it and above all “not just be spectators”. Yet that is what the UBB players seemed to be: feverish, waiting, too frozen by the stakes, this terrible and exciting stakes of winning a first Brennus Shield.
Dupont made Dupont
The captain has accelerated the pace, varying the game, since the start of the match, and allowed himself the luxury of a double in a personal exploit.
Following a maul, on a ball recovered by Mauvaka, the captain of the French XV and future player of the Olympic Sevens team, kicked a little for himself, above his understudy for the Blues Maxime Lucu, before going to touch down (22-3, 23′).
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