Full card for the French clubs. Sunday May 8, Toulon followed in Lyon’s footsteps by qualifying for the Challenge Cup semi-finals thanks to their victory (19-18) against London Irish. The RCT thus joins the LOU, winner, also in the snatch, of Glasgow on Saturday.
The horizon continues to brighten for Toulon
“The Toulonnais are hungry, abrasive and confident”, warned Les Kis, the Australian coach of the London Irish before the meeting this Sunday. Engaged in a crazy rise in the Top 14 to glean a place in the Top 6, the RCT intended in parallel to continue its race in the competition which kept it afloat despite a very complicated start to the season. By winning (19-18) against London Irish, Baptiste Serin’s teammates have confirmed their renewed form and will face Saracens in the last four.
We started badly, in the second half we played the occupation and it smiled on us. We were very good apart from the last two minutes. We got annoyed. It was hard, it shows our character all the same because they came back at the end of the match, but we didn’t give up.
Charles Ollivon, third line and captain of RC Toulonat the microphone of France 4 at the end of the meeting
Picked cold at the start of the match by the English furia, (9th, 0-10), the Varois relied on their executives and a terrible battle of forwards. His opening half, Louis Carbonel, made sure to punish the opposing faults against the poles (15 points), while his sidekick at the hinge, Baptiste Serin, perfectly measured the efforts of his forwards, constantly haranguing the troops .
Above all, the RCT was able to count on the mischief, the relentlessness in the tackles, the ease in touch of its captain and French international, Charles Ollivon who is already flirting with his best level (after another long break due to an injury ). It was he who allowed his team to finally take control of the match (60th, 16-10).
Long stuck in the depths of the French championship, the Varois are a few games away from appropriating the adage “everything comes at the right time to who knows how to wait” as the RCT could afford an unexpected end to the season. Even if the English finish, with this incredible try scored in the last moments, almost upset this axiom…
A historic qualification for the LOU
The Lyonnais and their sparkling Georgian winger Davit Niniashvili, who donned the cape of savior on Saturday evening, will long remember the stunning match delivered to win their ticket to the semi-finals of the European Challenge against Glasgow. The stratospheric performance of the explosive 19-year-old player, author of a double, perfectly illustrates that of a deeply generous LOU.
The trial of deliverance planted by the Georgian is the ideal example. A few seconds earlier, we found him sitting in his hallway, crippled with cramps and forced to stretch … before seeing him emerge, melting like a raptor on his prey to recover the kick over Jean-Marc Doussain , dive into the in-goal and validate the qualification (76th, 35-27 final score).
The conclusion of a crazy comeback started in the 50th minute. The temporary exclusion of Léo Berdeu when the Lou was trailing by 14 points has transfigured Lyonnais until then weighed down by their indiscipline. The charges of Demba Bamba and Romain Taofifenua offered space to three-quarters of Lyon as much as they pushed the Scots to fault. Opportunities that Doussain and Berdeu did not miss.
Thanks to this victory, the LOU snatch for the first time in its history a place among the semi-finalists of the Challenge Cup. The Lyonnais will have to get rid of Wasps if they want to offer the dream title for Pierre Mignoni’s last season at the head of the club.