Opposed to a Toulouse team that was far too undisciplined and lacking in offensive success, La Rochelle ended its series of nine defeats in a row and consolidated its place on the podium of the Top 14 (30-7).
La Rochelle has been waiting for this since September 2019! Beaten by Toulouse in the last nine meetings between the two teams in all competitions, the Champions Cup holder has finally overcome his pet peeve on his lawn at Marcel-Deflandre. Faced with Toulouse voluntarily deprived in particular of Antoine Dupont, Ronan O’Gara’s players took the initiative from the kick-off. At fault on the reception in front of his posts, Melvyn Jaminet offered three easy points to Antoine Hastoy after a handful of seconds. A failed first action that set the tone for the evening for Ugo Mola’s proteges. In difficulty in many areas of the game, mainly the scrum, the Toulousains were never able to put their opponents in difficulty, who took advantage of certain largesse to add to the penalty on the 20th minute. The bench of the Haute-Garonne club reacted very quickly with the entry of Cyril Baille to try to stabilize the scrum with an element of experience. But that was not enough to stop the Charente waves. After a 50-22 signed Brice Dulin, the Rochelais put in place a game of forwards which ended up benefiting Romain Sazy.
La Rochelle put Toulouse to the torture
The second line was signaled by a half-turn-contact to flatten the first try of the meeting, transformed by Antoine Hastoy. Very undisciplined since the start of the meeting, the Toulousains have come to the end of the patience of the referee of the meeting. Half an hour into the game, Charlie Faumuina paid for his entire team after a missed scrum. Toulouse then found itself at thirteen, Romain Ntamack logically receiving a yellow card for a high tackle on Paul Boudehent. A fault which allowed Antoine Hastoy to add three points, for a margin of sixteen lengths at the break. In effect, despite a double numerical superiority, the Maritimes were not able to weigh down the bill and get closer to the offensive bonus. While the rain ended up stopping at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre, Antoine Hastoy was not successful 30 meters to the left of the poles. The former Pau missed the target but without consequence. Shortly before the hour mark, Toulouse was once again forced to play outnumbered. This time it was Peato Mauvaka who was penalized for intervening while he was in an offside position. This time, Ronan O’Gara’s players knew how to take advantage of playing one more.
The offensive bonus set aside by the Maritimes
Barely entered the game, Pierre Boudehent concluded an action initiated by a scrum dominated by the Rochelais. By dint of insisting upwind, the Toulouse defensive curtain ended up giving in to the winger then Antoine Hastoy ensured the transformation. While one try was enough for them to secure a five-point victory, the players from La Rochelle gave way and lost their discipline. As a result, their captain Grégory Alldritt saw the end of the match from the edge of the lawn, receiving a yellow card penalizing an accumulation of faults. Less than two minutes later, Arthur Retière went to save the honor for Stade Toulousain. The former La Rochelle player went alone to conclude after being staggered out of scrum then Melvyn Jaminet took charge of the transformation. To end the evening in style, the Rochelais pushed to the end and their efforts were rewarded. After a long streak of upwind play, Kyle Hatherell ended up flattening an easily converted try. La Rochelle thus signs a second victory in a row (30-7) and regains its place on the podium. Toulouse, which is seeing its series of three consecutive successes come to an end, is only three steps ahead of its runner-up, Stade Français Paris before the reception of Montpellier after the break linked to the Champions Cup.