the essential
Heroically, the TO XIII hooker signed a daring drop, the 4th of his career, and memorable which allowed his team to fly to the final.
If Eloi Pelissier’s future is still unclear, in any case, he already knows what he is going to do next week. Without a contract at the end of the season, the Toulouse hooker kept his promise of wanting to leave Toulouse through the front door. In addition, the Catalan did it in style. Yesterday he made a sensational entry into play then signed this drop in the 76th giving victory to TO XIII. “It’s not something I try often,” smiled the hero of the day at a press conference. “I like this gesture, especially after a down, as was the case today, and I do it a few times in training,” explained the man who made the 4th drop of his long career. Four, as a symbol for the French international (21 caps) having scored, with his right foot, his fourth participation in a Championship final. Returning in the 50th minute, the experienced hooker immediately accelerated the game. A hook and quick releases of downs, just to show that at 33 years old, he still has something under his belt. Transcended by the stakes, Eloi Pélissier then “drove” the game until the fateful moment, a decisive moment that he had prepared in his head.
His family knew
“At a scrum, shortly before the attempt, I look towards my family. I hold out my hand as if to tell my parents that I am going to attempt a drop and that is what happened”, realizes immediately the number 14 of the Olympians. In the process, the team’s energy drops and Bradford scores a try which leaves Toulouse in no doubt. Secured by this small point lead, Sylvain Houlès’ men managed the end of the match and knew that the English were stunned. “We pulled together to achieve this success, we found the resources we needed to compete against this very dense team… They were 10 kg heavier than us at each position,” he summarizes, still marked by combat. Returning to calm, the former Catalans Dragons and London Broncos player is already looking forward to the final against Wakefield, next week on hostile ground. “This match is proof that we can do it, that we have to keep the confidence,” says the winner of the 2021 edition. “We have to free ourselves now, the pressure is on their shoulders and we have to play rugby just as we know how to do it”, concludes this locker room executive as valuable advice. Advice that will echo as much as the clamor it triggered at the end of this half. The moment of a historic drop and a celebration that will remain frozen in time by this player who always keeps his promises.
