On the shores of the Mediterranean, Castres overwhelmed the defending champion. Like many others, Toulouse stumbled upon this solid team (24-18), already crowned twice (2013, 2018) in the past ten years. It’s a sensation but not necessarily a surprise as the Tarn club has earned a reputation as tough. He did not finish first after 26 days by chance. “We make sacrifices throughout the season, underlines the man of the match, the opener Benjamin Urdapilleta. We work hard. We trust everyone. This is our strength. »
Nice was not the hottest place in France this Friday evening. Far from it. The thermometer rose much higher in Toulouse or Castres, but the 30°C which bathed the Allianz Riviera in sweat quickly brought this tussle to a boil, this derby between two candidates that everything opposed. The Toulousans and their stars Dupont, Ntamack, Ramos, Marchand, Baille, Jelonch, mistreated during the regular phase, who thought they had done the hardest part by sending the brand new European champion, La Rochelle, to his studies over the weekend. previous end (33-28), started with a bang. The inevitable Antoine Dupont quickly played a penalty for himself. The breathless, suffocating, exhilarating action ended with a full axis sprint and a try by winger Matthis Lebel. There were not two minutes of play. We then expected a red and black festival. The 2021 French and European champion has no equivalent when he evolves at this speed. “We were good at that time, but they knew how to play their shot thoroughly,” says Lebel.
Castres in diesel mode
The Tarnais, resting last week, just needed to find their rhythm. They took a little over twenty minutes and we then saw why they should not be taken lightly. A combative, eye-catching team, armed in all sectors, Castres knows how to cover their tracks and turn heads. Pierre-Henry Broncan’s players could even have made the difference earlier. The try of scrum half Santiago Arata (43rd), in a mouse hole, then that of the back Julien Dumora (77th), responding to a forty-meter breakthrough from Romain Ntamack (47th) which had allowed Toulouse to pick up the score, sent the Castres to the stars and the Stade de France, next Friday, against Montpellier or Bordeaux-Bègles who clash this Saturday evening at the Allianz riviera. “One or the other, who cares, it will be a big team no matter what,” says Julien Dumora. Castres is not afraid of anyone.