The Maritimes snatched the victory thanks to a penalty from Antoine Hastoy (22-19), after being jostled by a great team reshuffled from Toulouse.
Saturday evening at the Marcel-Deflandre stadium, as part of the 14th day of the Top 14, La Rochelle had all the difficulty in the world to win against a (very) young team from Stade Toulousain (22-19). Ronan O'Gara's players showed excitement throughout the game, flouting their Rugby, while the Rouge et Noir played uninhibited and daring.
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Toulouse loses its leading position
The Maritimes scored three tries through Latu (14th), Jégou (38th) and Kerr-Barlow (62nd), compared to just one for Toulouse, the work of Tolofua (70th) for his first professional match with the Stade. The boot of Valentin Delpy (21 years old!), author of 14 points, (for a long time) kept Ugo Mola's men in the match. While the outcome of this meeting was heading towards a draw, Antoine Hastoy passed the winning penalty after the siren.
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But what a tour de force from Toulouse, who proved, once again, that his youth could annoy and thwart any big machine in the championship! Stade Rochelais, on the other hand, confirms its current difficulties. The Yellow and Black are far too inconsistent, undisciplined and lack fluidity in their playing time to realize their opportunities. With this draw at home, the Maritimes remain seventh, two points from fifth place. For their part, the Haut-Garonnais lost their leading position and left the throne to Union Bordeaux-Bègles, victorious at Stade Français Paris this Saturday.
