One way: Toulouse, at the top of the Top 14 almost all season, logically qualified for the final thanks to a show of force on Friday in San Sebastian against Racing 92 (41-13), for which a page goes to turn.
The Toulousains played almost at home at the Anoeta stadium, the usual lair of Real Sociedad footballers, which their supporters have invested en masse just three hours’ drive from the Pink City.
They probably did not need this extra soul as their superiority was obvious on the Basque meadow, in line with the regular phase, of which they spent 24 of the 26 days in the lead.
Racing saved appearances
The Stadium has reached its third final in the last four exercises that have come to an end. He won the first two, in 2019 and 2021, with a golden generation no doubt destined to remain at the top of French rugby for a few more years.
The main supplier of the XV of France, the second nation in the world ranking, put an abrupt end to the checkered season of Racing, which has not seen the final since 2016, the year of its last title.
Eliminated from the pools of the Champions Cup – very far from its ambitions – the Hauts-de-Seine club will have at least saved appearances by climbing into the last four thanks to its victorious barrage on the ground of the French Stadium (33 -20) last weekend.
A match that the Toulousains, assured for a long time already of being the Basque meeting, watched with their toes fanned out after having already suffered a lot in the previous weeks.
The Haut-Garonne staff had taken care throughout the season to spare its workforce, which, too blunt, had been surprised by Castres (24-18) in the semi-finals last year.
His surplus of freshness was decisive on Friday evening in the heat of San Sebastian, where his opponent from the Ile-de-France region only kept up the pace a quarter of an hour after the ceremonial shivers of the hegoak, a traditional Basque song.
A festival ahead
Stade Toulousain, initially embarrassed in touch, killed the semblance of suspense in five minutes thanks to its two best scorers of the season.
Winger Matthis Lebel first concluded a good game launch (18e), then second row Emmanuel Meafou scored his 12e try of the season, all competitions combined, following a penalty played by hand, a new Toulouse classic.
The Racingmen, led 14-0, quickly gave up, not really helped by a failing kicking game and a festival of forwards.
They will have at least had the merit of saving honor by Gaël Fickou (71e) and Ibrahim Diallo (76e), but Toulouse, dominating in all areas, especially in melee, had already folded the case for a long time, even offering itself the luxury of bringing out its international hinge Dupont-Ntamack soon enough.
The third row Alexandre Roumat (50e), winger Arthur Retière (58e) and the third row François Cros (80e) inflated the score to humiliating proportions for Racing.
End clap for Laurent Travers and Finn Russell
The Ile-de-France institution will present another face next season. Starting with the bench, where manager Laurent Travers will give way to former England coach Stuart Lancaster.
The whimsical Scottish opener Finn Russell played his last match in the sky and white jersey, which another big name in world rugby will wear in a few months: the emblematic captain of South Africa Siya Kolisi.
Entered through the front door in the final, Stade Toulouse will have the opportunity next week to continue writing its history, already rich with 21 Brennus shields.
He will face at the Stade de France the winner of the second semi-final scheduled for Saturday (5 p.m.) between Bordeaux-Bègles and the double European champion from La Rochelle, the new “scarecrow” of French rugby.
For Thibaud Flament (second line of Stade Toulousain, “nothing is done yet but we are where we wanted to be: we are in the final, we still have one game left and we will do everything to get to the end and we are happy. tonight”. Does he have a preference between La Rochelle or Bordeaux-Bègles? “Honestly? La Rochelle. Because these are confrontations that we are used to and it’s always quite tense so we want them. will be a close match.”
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