Top 14. Stade Toulousain dominates Montpellier and wins the offensive bonus point
Through Julien Sournies
Published on
After a messy first half, the Toulouse stadium got together perfectly in the second to get the upper hand on Montpellier (23-9), Sunday January 29, 2023, closing on January 16e day of Top 14.
Lots of inaccuracies
From the outset, the two teams did not hesitate to use their feet to try to occupy the opposing camp. But it was ultimately the Montpellier residents who opened the scoreboard. Taking advantage of an illicit competition on the ground from Guillaume Cramont, Louis Carbonel investigated a first penalty (5e).
Dominators, the Héraultais managed to reduce their grip on Toulouse multiplying the faults of hands. After only 25 minutes of play, the proteges of Ugo Mola already committed their fifth forward. Waste that the Cistes could have capitalized on if Arthur Retière had not scratched a hot ball a handful of meters from his in-goal (31e).
But, after two sanctions against the locals, Louis Carbonel added three new units to the counter (35e). Lined up at the opening for the occasion, Juan Cruz Mallia took advantage of a Montpellier foul in the scrum to respond to his vis-à-vis (38e). In the last seconds of the first act, the champions of France pushed. Like their start to the match strewn with clumsinessthe partners of Ange Capuozzo, through this one, would qualify as penalized on the ground and would generously offer three new points to the MHR on the siren.
A one-sided second act, Montpellier sinks
Upon returning from the locker room, the five-time European champions took the game on their own. income with better intentions, the “Stadium” multiplied the hot actions in the 22 opposing meters. In the wake of the yellow card repeated by Jan Serfontein (54e), Dimitri Delibes believed to score the first try of the game, but due to a screen from Pita Ahki, it was refused.
A short-lived frustration. Less than two minutes later, Guillaume Cramont, on issuing a breakthrough full field, flattened the swelling behind the line and allowed his team to take control for the first time. It was only the beginnings of a real nightmare for the residents of the GGL stadium. After an eighth foul in just over 20 minutes of play, Thomas Darmon received a yellow card (62e). In the process, Juan Cruz Mallia piled up a new finesse.
Ange Capuozzo sees double
While Montpellier suffered setbacks against the posts, Stade Toulousain, thanks to Angel Capuozzodid not have to be asked to register a new try (66e). A third, synonymous with offensive bonus, was even scored in the final minutes. Ange Capuozzo, again, jumped over Cobus Reinach to flatten in a corner (77e) and definitively sealed the outcome of the debates.
This five-point success allows Toulouse to take eight steps ahead on his first pursuer, Stade Français. A good omen before the Bayonne reception, Saturday February 4 (3 p.m.), as part of the 17e championship day.
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