From our French perspective, accustomed to our beloved Top 14 and probably a little too fond of our French clubs, we are often afraid of not judging European matches with the rigor that we would like.
So, the writings of the foreign press are something that we look at regularly. Which we transcribe, sometimes, as if to give this vision to our readers. That of outside our borders, as if to better appreciate the successes of French clubs or the XV of France, sometimes. Here, despite the good performances of La Rochelle or Castres, we had to look into what was being said elsewhere regarding the performance of Stade Toulousain.
Particularly on the Guardian side, whose writing and knowledge of the game provide a cocktail that is often appreciable, like a drink with your feet in the water in an all-inclusive setting. And ? The British media did not hesitate to angle its report on this Exeter vs Toulouse around Antoine Dupont.
TOP 14. Antoine Dupont injured following the demonstration in Exeter: towards a package until 2025?
For him, “the incomparable Antoine Dupont pulled the strings with art in a 10-try masterclass.” Better still, he “orchestrated the beating that Toulouse inflicted on Exeter”. Qualifier not usurped, to see the 21 to 64 registered on the scoreboard at the end of the 80 minutes.
The French scrum half brings observers to the stadium, including those from the Guardian, excited and admiring at the idea of seeing him play before their eyes. It took them well, in the middle of a Toulouse team which would certainly have won even without him: “He thinks and moves faster than the other players around him. (…) The simple fact of watching Dupont play in live is a privilege right now and, at times, it has also turned Chiefs players into virtual spectators.”
The people of Toulouse, “the best French”
More broadly, the article also takes stock of a match in which the Hauts-Garonnais sometimes “scored too easily”, and where “their dexterity and connectivity are a joy to see”. In the same sense, the legendary Chiefs coach Rob Baxter highlighted “several things which made the Toulouse attack indefensible”.
So many things that make him say that Toulouse is the team to beat this year. “Good luck to all the teams who will try to beat Toulouse with its superstars.” Or rather “good luck”…
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