ANALYZE. Top 14: Castres resisted but Toulouse ended up finding the key
The Toulousans have long been upset by the Castres who represent the Stadium of Toulouse with a defensive bonus point (22-18).
This Midi-Pyrénées derby will never be a match like the others and will always remain suffocating and surprising. Consider that at the final whistle, the Castres raised their arms on Dumora’s penalty of fifty meters. But it was Toulouse who emerged victorious, continuing their unbeaten run at home this season and their run at the top of the standings, nine points ahead of Racing, with one game less.
If the Tarnais have raised their arms, it is because they have allowed them to take a defensive bonus point, their second only since the start of the season. A well-deserved bonus point as long as they were on an equal footing with their Toulouse rivals who have long sought the right keys to the match in a padlocked match.
This is to say if the CO has shown itself up to it. Especially since he had the misfortune to lose his third center line Ardron before kick-off and his opener Le Brun just after it, contesting the derby with Botitu at the opening.
Opposite, on the other hand, we did not recognize the Stade Toulousain of the European Cup. A little messy in his game, he was as expected challenged in the rucks. As if the good old CO recipe still seems to be applied to the letter. The Stade thwarted technically by playing too often in front of the defense and by being imprecise in their offensive actions.
In fact, the Tarnais stayed in the game for a long time. In the first period, they could have even hoped for better since they had long ball possessions but Broncan’s men lacked precision in the scoring area like this pass from Botitu in the feet of Seguret while the CO played in the 22 meters from Toulouse.
Even if Castres lost the thread a little for five minutes in the first half (a penalized scrum, a poorly controlled ruck and a forward in front of the in-goal on a too short defeat by Jaminet), it was without damage because the Toulousains then foiled tactically by refusing two penalties against the bars just before the break.
Two cartons of CO
On resumption, after ten minutes still filled with approximations and clumsiness, Toulouse played a more direct game and managed to get a small cushion of six points ahead (9-3). But following, the Stadium revived Castres by its own errors (9-9). But it was then that the finalist of the championship capable of exploiting it was designated that the match tipped in favor of the Stadium with in quick succession the yellow card of Dumora, the try in strength of Meafou and a sensitivity of Jaminet which then gave the locals a ten-point lead.
But constancy of the match, Castres did not abdicate when he nevertheless lost his captain Babillot expelled. Until registering two penalties and pocketing a defensive bonus. For its part, the Stadium provided the essentials and once again was able to verify that nothing is ever easy against the CO.