Pau : 14
Toulouse : 22
Toulouse definitely resumed its march forward on Saturday, winning at Pau, undefeated until then at Le Hameau (14-22). A success which allows it to temporarily return to the top of the Top 14, ahead of Bordeaux-Bègles, traveling to La Rochelle on Sunday evening.
The bad patch between September and October seems forgotten for the French champion, who has therefore regained color with the return of Antoine Dupont, still dominant, and that of Jack Willis, decisive and valuable.
The Section, deprived of its usual third line, tried to compete with its weapons, but it came up against the realism and the defensive pressure of visitors determined not to give up anything along the way.
Dupont as a metronome
Led by their Olympic champion at 7, who had not taken part in an away match since the defeat in Bordeaux in March, the Toulouse residents did not miss their start. Absent for three matches punctuated by two defeats, Willis rewarded his team by concluding a first action born from a penalty quickly played by hand by… Dupont (4e).
For a quarter of an hour, Pau did not see the ball, but knew how to turn his back to avoid taking more than a penalty, notably with a nice return from Jack Maddocks on Matthis Lebel launched.
After the storm passed, the Béarnais insisted and following a series of “pick and go” near the visiting line, Daniel Bibi Biziwu found the fault (7-10, 20e). Not enough, however, to shake this Stadium which rested its hands on the ball and finished a second time behind the line by Julien Marchand, following a penalty and a carried ball (34e).
A crescendo intensity
After the break, the intensity increased a notch, with severe contact without anyone finding the opening. We had to wait for a stroke of genius from Dupont, author of a behind-the-back pass for Guillaume Cramont, to see Ugo Mola’s men take off (7-22, 64e). Shortly before, an inspiration at the foot of the Toulouse scrum-half intended for Ange Cappuozo could not meet the same fate, the Italian international failing to flatten.
The victory almost acquired, the Rouge et Noir played their part to improve it, but left spaces, notably to Maddocks, who infiltrated to serve Sacha Zégueur, in the relay to send Thibault Daubagna behind the line (77e). Too late, however, to hope to reap the defensive bonus.
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