Led until the 79th minute in a hotly contested final, the Toulousains clung to the end to win against the Rochelais on Saturday.
Two years later, Toulouse finds the madness of the summits. Stade Toulousain won the Top 14 final against La Rochelle (29-26), Saturday June 17 at the Stade de France, to win its 22nd national championship title. After a bitter and very close fight (the two teams were tied at the break), the Red and Blacks made the difference at the very end of the match thanks to a try on a crazy run by Romain Ntamack (79th).
It’s a perfect Toulouse-style shot. While the Rochelais had the debates in hand, and seemed to be heading for a first historic title and a perfect season, the Toulouse, so used to disorder, shattered everything. On an almost innocuous action in midfield, less than two minutes from the final whistle, Romain Ntamack, the child of the “Stadium” par excellence, turned into a hero, for his first championship final.
The landmark essay almost on the mermaid
He thwarted UJ Seuteni before avoiding a tackle, then spinning as fast as his legs allowed him to throw himself into the Rochelais in-goal. Four points behind, the Hauts-Garonnais returned to the lead at the best of times. Barely time to type the dismissal that the siren sounded in the sky of Saint-Denis, consecrating their title and their glory.
This coronation, the people of Toulouse went to seek it with opportunism and success, as they had not really seemed capable of taking the measure of this final until the last few minutes. Dominated by Rochelais installed in steamroller mode (56% occupation of the field, 23% possession in the 22 Toulouse), they had let their opponents take the lead after a better return from the locker room.
Patients, the Rochelais had applied to keep the lead, faced with the success of Thomas Ramos at the foot (100%) to try to make up for the delay. “It’s in no way, it could have been for La Rochelle. We almost didn’t believe it at the end”recognized the Toulouse hooker Julien Marchand at the microphone of France 2 just after the meeting.
No second white season
His teammates, however badly embarked, had been guilty of several excesses of confidence, poorly managed hand raises, bad choices at the foot. Even the hero Romain Ntamack almost ended his final with great regret, when he missed his kick in the 74th minute to get the touchline and the ball went straight out of bounds.
But ghanks to his house genius and his mind, Toulouse once again tastes the joys of a trophy and avoids a second blank year. “We were in a bad way, we are even happier”, savored Captain Antoine Dupont. For La Rochelle, defeated for the second time by the Hauts-Garonne in the final, after 2021, the first title of champion of France will wait.