Téfécé won the first French Cup in club history on Saturday, while at the same time Stade Toulousain failed at the gates of the Champions Cup final, dominated by Leinster.
Football, rugby, Formula 1, cycling, motoGP… The weekend was packed with sporting events. The Toulousans created a sensation on Saturday by crushing FC Nantes after a one-sided Coupe de France final. The pink city had less success on the oval side. As in 2019 and 2022, Stade Toulousain was dominated by Leinster in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup. The Irish will find La Rochelle in the final, who beat Exeter on Sunday. Les Bleues lost in England, failing in their dream of a Grand Slam.
If you haven’t followed this weekend’s sports news, franceinfo: sport has selected what you shouldn’t miss.
French Cup: historic Toulouse against Nantes
By mercilessly dethroning FC Nantes in the final (5-1), Saturday April 29, the men of Philippe Montanier made a sensational entry into the history of the pink city, thanks to a record performance. If this title is the second in the history of the city after that of 1957, it is the first in the history of the current club, founded in 1970.
In front from the 3rd minute, Philippe Montanier’s men never loosened their grip until the break, before controlling. We have to go back to the final of the 1970 edition to find traces of a slap at the level of the one inflicted by the TFC in Nantes. It has been 53 years since a team scored five goals in the Coupe de France final. En full period of social mobilization, apart from a few boos heard in the 49th minute, football ultimately remained the focus of attention.
Champions Cup: La Rochelle joins Leinster in the final, who beat Toulouse
The Toulouse FC trophy will put some comfort in the hearts of Stade Toulousain supporters, who (again) broke their teeth against Leinster and failed at the gates of the Champions Cup final (41-22). Dominated by the Irish and punished by their own indiscipline, the Toulouse failed for the second year in a row at the gates of the final.
A final that Stade Rochelais will play well. Engaged in the second semi-final, the Maritimes made short work of Exeter in Bordeaux (47-28), with seven tries and 47 points in the key. They will find Leinster, whom they beat last season in the final to win their first European star.
Six Nations 2023: no Grand Slam for the Blues, beaten by England
They had so far achieved a clear round in the Six Nations Tournament. But at Twickenham, Saturday April 29, the French women came up against Red Roses queens at home (38-33). Despite a reaction of pride in the second period (33-5 in 40 minutes), the players of David Ortiz and Gaëlle Mignot had been too late in the first act to come back to score.
Despite the setback, the Blues did more than doubt the English, victorious of the Grand Slam for the fifth time in a row. If opener Jessy Tremoulière (78 caps) bowed out on Saturday, the next generation embodied by Carla Arbez already seems to be maturing to ensure the handover for the next World Cup in 2025.
F1: Sergio Pérez perfect in Baku
Perfect weekend for Sergio Pérez on the shores of the Caspian Sea. In Azerbaijan, the Mexican rider won the first sprint race of the season and then took the Grand Prix victory. On Saturday, he quickly got the better of poleman Charles Leclerc to win. On Sunday, he took advantage of the safety car and the pit stops to take the lead, and never let go.
With this victory, his second in 2023, the Mexican closes the gap in the drivers’ standings with his teammate, Max Verstappen, second in Baku. The two Red Bull drivers will arrive in Miami on May 5, for the next race weekend, separated by six small points.
Ligue 1: Marseille carbides, Paris stalls, it’s over for Angers
Lens not having played this weekend because of the Coupe de France final contested by Toulouse, OM took the opportunity to put pressure on the Artésiens. Long muzzled by the Auxerre defense, the Marseillais turned the tide at the end of the game, and signed a third consecutive victory in Ligue 1 (2-1). A success that allows them to temporarily relegate Lens to four points, while returning to five lengths from PSG.
A little earlier in the afternoon, Sunday, Paris indeed lost for the sixth time of the season (the third at home) against Lorient, at the end of a meeting completely missed by the Parisians (1 -3). This defeat, which should not cost the title to PSG given the calendar which awaits the club of the capital by the end of the championship, however plunges the Parisians a little more into the crisis. A less serious crisis, of course, than the one that is shaking Angers, officially relegated to Ligue 2 after yet another defeat against Rennes (2-4).