The RCT made short work of their evening opponent, Glasgow, in a one-sided final in favor of Toulon (43-19).
By PM with AFP
© ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP
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Efinally! Toulon, after four lost finals, broke the Indian sign by winning the Challenge Cup at the expense of the Scots of Glasgow (43-19), Friday in Dublin, thus winning the last title which was still missing from the Var club. Thanks to six tries, three quick tries from Baptiste Serin (5th, 26th) and Sergio Parisse (19th) then three others from Jiuta Wainiqolo (59th), Waisea Nayacalevu (65th) and Ihaia West (79th) in the second half, Toulon won with the second widest gap in the history of the Challenge finals, behind the 43-5 inflicted by Colomiers on Agen in 1998.
Better, the Varois, only 8th in the Top 14 with one day to go, save their season by securing a ticket for the Champions Cup next season. The RCT also join England’s Bath, Northampton and Wasps as well as Ireland’s Leinster to become the fifth club to have achieved the Champions Cup-Challenge Cup double.
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The formation of La Rade, crowned in the “big” European Cup three times (2013, 2014, 2015), had hitherto fallen on the last step of the Challenge: first in front of Cardiff in 2010, against Biarritz two years later then against Bristol in 2020 and Lyon last season.
Charles Ollivon’s teammates also become the ninth French club to title in the “small” continental competition, joining Bourgoin-Jallieu (1997), Colomiers (1998), Clermont (1999, 2007, 2019), Pau (2000), Biarritz (2012 ), Montpellier (2016, 2021), Stade Français (2017) and Lou So.
Formidable efficiency
Formidable efficiency, impressive in the rucks, the men of the duo formed by Pierre Mignoni and Franck Azéma, who had both already been crowned as players with Clermont, in 1999 then 20007 respectively, simply muzzled their Scottish opponents.
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The Warriors however lined up eleven players from the XV du Thistle who had caused a lot of trouble for the Blues during the Six Nations Tournament (32-21). This time again, it was the French who emerged victorious. And neither the premature exit of scrum-half Baptiste Serin (crutch) nor that of winger Gabin Villière (concussion) seemed to disturb the Rouge et Noir. No more than the test refused to Charles Ollivon (53rd) for offside. Those, very valid, of the Scotsman Kyle Steyn (57th, 73rd), of the Argentinian Sebastian Cancelliere (68th) arrived much too late.
Ten years and a day after its first continental title, ahead of Clermont (16-15), Toulon has therefore given the cover. It was already in Dublin. As if the lily-of-the-valley club had found a four-leaf clover at Aviva Stadium. Finally.