Toulouse wins as leader ahead of Clermont
The match: 27-15
Four days, four successes: the French champion lives up to his double title. But we must believe that the success of Clermontois at Marcel-Michelin against La Rochelle last Saturday (23-22), had released them, until then rather unhappy in the game. In any case, that could explain their thunderous start to the match . On the entry attack, Sébastien Vahaamahina’s teammates quickly found the key and scored their first try in the 7th minute by Raka on a huge pass from Damian Penaud, placed center for this meeting.
If the Toulouse responded with a lob from Antoine Dupont for his accomplice at the hinge, Romain Ntamack (22nd, 7-5), the Clermontois, outnumbered (yellow card against Fisher, 22nd) did not stop attacking and found there still the way by the wings, Marvin O’Connor planting the second try of his own (33rd, 7-12). But with a lot of lucidity and sharpness, the champions of France bet on the boot of Thomas Ramos (36th, 10-12) to fill part of their handicap at the break.
In the second half, Toulouse, reduced to fourteen after the yellow card sanctioning Holmes (39th), found the way to the in-goal by Anthony Jelonch (43rd, 17-12). But the ASM added the highlights, enhanced by Camille Lopez author of a drop-goal on the line (52nd, 17-15). The meeting was balanced for a while before switching to a feat of the international scrum half Antoine Dupont in the closed side with a fake pass and a staggering acceleration behind the scrum (70th, 24-15) to seal the fourth success of row of Championship leaders.
100
The leaders of the Championship could count on the precision of their striker, Thomas Ramos, author of a 100% (5/5).
The player: A first for Marvin O’Connor
Trained in Grenoble, passed through Bayonne, Montpellier and Stade Français, then contacted by the FFR to join the French team at 7 in 2018, the Franco-Australian winger Marvin O’Connor (30), returned this season to fifteen as a medical joker in Clermont, signed his first try in his new colors after three years of absence in the Top 14. And that on the first ball he touched, plunging into the corner to allow his team to lead, 7 -12, in the 33rd minute.