Top 14 (J23): Toulon confirms against Toulouse
Faraj Benlahoucine, Media365, published on Saturday April 23, 2022 at 11:01 p.m.
By defeating Stade Toulousain this Saturday at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille (19-15), Toulon confirmed that they remain a serious customer in the race for the final stages with this 4th consecutive victory in the Top 14. The French champion has for his part returned to a defensive bonus point, allowing him to return to equality with Lyon in 6th place.
Rejected far into the bottom of the Top 14 at the start of the season, who would have imagined Toulon getting involved in the race for the final stages at the start of 2022? And yet, we will have to rely on the XV of the Rade three days before the end of the regular phase. With three consecutive successes in the league and a qualification for the quarter-finals of the European Challenge last weekend, the usual residents of Mayol see things big at the end of the season.. Like, for example, investing in the Vélodrome stadium, dear to Olympique de Marseille, to host Stade Toulousain in a staggered match of the 23rd round. A beneficial project for the club which has already experienced such a party on many occasions in the past in the Marseille city where a scent of the final stages flirted this Saturday. Faced with the champion of France, the boiling atmosphere and especially the content of the match against the double champion of France in title ignited the France of rugby.
Nevertheless, the Toulonnais supposed to be assessed at home, quickly find themselves somewhat overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. A desire to do well pushes them to make mistakes regularly and to opt for questionable game choices. In addition, the Pink City club flew over the battle of the rucks with Julien Marchand and Emmanuel Meafou monstrous in this compartment. This translates into a score of 6-12 at rest thanks to Thomas Ramos, precise against the posts. However, the return from the locker room is marked by a change in attitude from the Toulonnais. More disciplined imposing, an even more intense tempo than in the first period and also establishing their superiority in melee, the Varois are gaining momentum. If they wasted two serious test opportunities, the third, less obvious, is on the other hand materialized by Gabin Villelière, author of a small feat avoiding two tackles in a pocket handkerchief (70th).
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