Dominent Toulouse run riot over Bordeaux to claim 23rd Top 14 title

Toulouse won by the biggest margin in the history of the competition in a final.

CHAMPIONS: Toulouse signed off the 2023/24 season in utterly dominant style, beating Bordeaux 59-3 at a packed Stade Velodrome to add a record 23rd Bouclier de Brennus to their record sixth Champions Cup title.

Top 14 final: Toulouse 59 Bordeaux 3

Toulouse signed off the 2023/24 season in utterly dominant style, beating Bordeaux 59-3 at a packed Stade Velodrome to add a record 23rd Bouclier de Brennus to their record sixth Champions Cup title.

It was a chastening night for Bordeaux, who were a long way second in their search for a first-ever Top 14 crown, at the end of a first season under Yannick Bru’s management.

Bru gambled on playing fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, who had missed last week’s semi-final with a thigh injury, and tighthead Ben Tameifuna, who suffered a shoulder injury in the victory over Stade Francais. Both had nights they won’t want to remember. They were far from the only ones among those wearing white.

Antoine Dupont scored twice in the first half, while hooker Peato Mauvaka was only denied an opening period double of his own by the width of Maxime Lucu’s ankle as he crashed over on the stroke of halftime.

Dupont’s second, in the 23rd minute, will dominate highlights reels. It was a Swiss skeleton watch of a move, the intricate close-quarter passes between Flament, Neti, Mauvaka and Mallia to release their captain were a delight.

He still had plenty of work to do – chipping over opposite number Maxime Lucu, and gathering to score by the posts – but those fluid passes bewitched and bewildered the defence to create the space he needed.

His first, 17 minutes earlier was a sniping inside cut of a run typical of the player and his position. It owed a lot to Toulouse’s forwards – notably Mauvaka, Tom Willis and Thibaud Flament, who powered the ball close to the line.

Mauvaka added to Bordeaux’s early woes before the first quarter was out. He had lurked out wide as his pack-mates barged their way to the danger zone, sucking in defenders, and made the most of the space they created. It was sundial rugby, in comparison to Dupont’s high-precision second, but no less effective for it.

By now Willis and Mauvaka, in particular, were bossing the game. They were everywhere. The Englishman was a menace at the breakdown, stealing ball after ball, and chewed up the metres like a muscle car on high-octane fuel.

Bordeaux had no response. Lucu tried to inject some impetus, but had little back-up. And the difference between Romain Ntamack and Jalibert could not be more apparent.

Ntamack mostly quietly managed the game with quiet competence. He was noticeably unnoticeable. Jalibert, on the other hand, strutted and fretted his 55 minutes upon the stage, his sound and fury amounting to nothing.

The break and a quiet third quarter were nothing more than temporary relief for Bordeaux. They had barely avoided conceding a fourth in the first 40 after Mauvaka was held up after latching on to an overthrown defensive lineout.

But then Ntamack announced himself with a break and kick ahead for Thomas Ramos to score shortly after the hour. Julien Marchand broke off a maul to barge over five minutes later. And a Flament interception led – inevitably – to a try for Blair Kinghorn with 10 minutes still on the clock.

The match had long been over. Dupont was smiling on the touchline, replaced by Paul Graou. But then Ramos scored his second, David Ainu’u took Toulouse’s score past 50 – and they were having so much fun that they refused to put Bordeaux out of their misery after the clock ticked past 80 – Ange Capuozzo finishing a length-of-the-pitch move to put an exclamation mark on an overwhelming performance.

Toulouse: Ramos; Mallia (Capuozzo 68’), Chocobares, Ahki (Costes 66’), Kinghorn; Ntamack, Dupont (Graou 70’); Roumat (Verge 66’), Willis, Cros; Flament, Arnold (Brennan 61’); Aldegheri (Merkler 54’), Mauvaka (Marchand 54’), Neti (Ainu’u 54’) 

Bordeaux: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey (Uberti 50’); Jalibert (Abadie 55’), Lucu; Tatafu, Diaby (Bochaton 46’), Vergnes Taillefer (Samu 59’); Coleman (Cazeaux 66’), Cazeaux (Douglas 55’); Tamiefuna (Taufa 47’), Lamothe (Maynardier 59’), Poirot (Boniface 46’)

Referee: Ludovic Cayre