This final between the two best offensive arsenals in Europe will not be a clone war but a clash of styles between the Gironde blitzkrieg and the formidable Toulouse system.
This is the first evidence: this final will not only oppose the two best attacks in France (103 tries for Toulouse, 80 for UBB), but also from Europe, Toulouse fuels all competitions with an average of 4.4 tries per match and UBB at 3.7… The promise of a great show ? If the weather conditions allow it, we accept the omen. Because, as Damian Penaud confided on Saturday evening, “the DNA of the two teams is ultimately very close”, with some nuances however. Thus, while the UBB mainly brings danger through the rezoning of its wingers in the middle of the field, Toulouse shines in a much more “classic” way, leaving his playmakers (his hinge and his rear, not to name them) the care to resolve situations, served by a system mastered to perfection by its entire workforce.
If he scored a lot during this 2023-2024 financial year, Dupont mainly became a decisive passer with 31 goals. Not to mention his appearances with France 7… Almost unheard of.https://t.co/fH0QqL6gMa
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) https://twitter.com/RugbyramaFR/status/1805553776419357047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In addition, the nature of the preferred munitions is not the same either… Because if Toulouse remains a reference in the art of concluding counter-attack balls or imposing long sequences, the UBB wants to be she more “cautious”. The Unionists’ trademark consists of recording a large part of their attempts over very short sequences (46% of their achievements having even been recorded over a single playing time), due to a clear desire not to keep the ball for a long time without obvious progress…
In Bordeaux the occupation, in Toulouse the possession
In this capacity? On paper, the opposition of styles will be real, since the team which plays the least at the bottom of the Top 14 (Toulouse) and the one which gains the most meters through this form of play (Bordeaux) will clash; the Girondins having increased their record to an average of 969 meters gained per match, a third more than Toulouse.
Even though the Stadium knows how to shine perfectly with its occupation game when the stakes call for it, as we saw again on Friday… We can also cite, among the differences, a greater propensity to invest in the ground game on the Toulouse side (in attack but especially in defense). A sector where Ugo Mola’s men underperformed against La Rochelle, which will undoubtedly imply a desire for revenge.
Finally, the picture would not be complete if we did not focus on the area of conquest, where the two teams recently lost their main anchor: Emmanuel Meafou and Ben Tameifuna… Which could have cost them dearly in the half and will not forgive in the event of another poor performance in the final if their planned return behind the scenes for the final were to be postponed.
