Boudjellal: win beyond wildest dreams

THERE were hugs, slaps on the back and even a few tears - it's been a long time since Toulon enjoyed a day like this but thanks to the largesse of owner Mourad Boudjellal, they may have a few more in the future.

“Even in my wildest dreams I never imagined qualifying out of the pool of death,” the Toulon president declared.

“We've got to thank London Irish too, who did us a big favour with their win over the Ospreys. To qualify for the quarter-finals of the ‘H’ Cup at the first attempt is something historic.”

Boudjellal has been one of the more controversial figures in French rugby over the last few years, but admitted his experience of European rugby has given him a new appreciation for the game.

“The Heineken Cup is something special. I am a child of the [French championship]. Serge Blanco said to me: ‘Once you taste it, you never want to give it up’. It really is like a drug. To see the supporters singing La Marseillaise (during) the game was really extraordinary.”

A win at the Liberty Stadium next week would guarantee the French side a home quarter-final and Boudjellal has declared that he wouldn't countenance a move to Marseille's Velodrome stadium.

Boudjellal made his millions as the owner of a company that makes comics, and he couldn't help drawing on his business when asked to pinpoint the major reason for Toulon's performance.

“The team was upset by the defeat in Thomond Park and when I watched that game, I had the impression that it was something out of an Asterix comic. My team looked like the Roman Legions against the Gallic tribes because we came back to Toulon with so many injuries and doubts.

“Today is the day of victory. But the joy we feel today is because of how we beat a great team.”