Toulouse joins Leinster in the final after their success over Harlequins at the end of an offensive festival

At the Toulouse Stadium, the reigning French champions trembled but did not give in to bring down the eye-catching Harlequins (38-26). The French will play the final for a sixth title against the Irish from Leinster, who have four.

Three years later, Toulouse rediscovers the taste of a European final. Victorious at home in the Champions Cup semi-finals (38-26) against Harlequins, Sunday May 5, the Haut-Garonnais will once again face their best enemies Leinster, in London, on May 25, to dream of a sixth European star. This Irish team has, over the last two seasons, defeated Toulouse each time in the semi-final, before losing to Rochelais in the final.

The quarter-final between Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Harlequins had already given rise to a holy offensive fireworks. The start of the meeting between Toulouse and Londoners began on the same basis. The two teams initially went blow for blow, Marcus Smith responding to Matthis Lebel’s first try (5-7, 13th). Almost immediately, the French and English scored on a maul, by Peato Mauvaka and Will Evans, to put everyone back on level terms in the scorers’ game (12-12).

Full of trickery, Thibaud Flament immediately stole a ball within five English meters to finish in the goal and conclude a breathtaking first 25 minutes (17-12, 26th).

After such a strong start to the match, one of the two teams had to experience a drop in performance. To the delight of a Stadium which had turned to the colors of the oval for an afternoon, Antoine Dupont scored his double, scored in four minutes, to put his team on the path to success (31-12, 36th). Two achievements which bear the seal of its permanent support, following two great individual actions by Paul Costes and Peato Mauvaka, very energetic for 50 minutes.

A return from the locker room in its infancy

40 minutes away from playing an eighth European final in their history, Toulouse largely eased off after the break, unlike Harlequins. In the wake of an ambitious and very playful three-quarter line, the visitors were able to use the drop in opposing tension to come back to five small points, thanks to tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green (52nd).

In this more complicated phase, where they knew “make a round back”, dixit Romain Ntamack, the Toulouse residents were notably able to count on the colossal slaughter of international third row François Cros, author of a total of 20 tackles and elected man of the match.

An avoidable yellow card taken by hooker Jack Walker for an illegal clearance on Dupont (67th) and penalties stupidly conceded by the Harlequins even offered the possibility for the Rouge et Noir to score a new try, through the who likes to shine in the European Cup, Juan Cruz Mallia (38-26, 67th).

All eyes could already turn towards Leinster, the real bête noire of Ugo Mola’s men. Swept two years in a row in the semi-finals by the Irish (40-17 in 2022 and 41-22 in 2023), the future finalists already know what to expect. When his coach mentioned a match “facing our Nemesis, our ogre (sic)”, François Cros has already warned: “We will have to play a full match if we want to win“. Implied, air gaps like today will no longer be forgiving, in a final which will feature the two most successful teams in this competition, with a total of nine coronations.