Mauvaka brace powers  Toulouse to four in a row in stormy Top 14 final

The club's latest title matches their 1994-1997

Stade Toulousainplayers celebrate on the podium with the "Bouclier de Brennus" trophy after winning the French Top 14 rugby union final against Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR) at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on June 27, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images)

Peato Mauvaka scored a first-half double as Ugo Mola’s 21st-century Toulouse held off a second-half Montpellier fightback to match the four Top-14 titles in a row exploits of the club’s 1994-1997 vintage to win a storm-interrupted final at Stade de France 28-20.

The referee pulled the players off the pitch for 10 minutes because of the conditions nearly an hour into a match played at an insane pace given the humid, energy-sapping conditions in Paris.

The break gave more than the players a chance to catch their breath.

For that opening hour, as storms circled the capital at the beginning of the end of a historic heatwave that has baked France for over a week, Toulouse made a mockery of pre-match predictions – for the second weekend in a row – that their opponents’ direct, forward-heavy game might derail them.

The final had been billed as a clash between Toulouse’s all-out, free-wheeling attack – the best in the Top 14 – and Montpellier’s organised, hermetic, forward-heavy defence, also the best in the Top 14.

It had also been noted, and cited as evidence that Joan Caudullo’s side had the beating of the reigning champions, was the fact that – two seasons after securing Top 14 survival via a late Louis Carbonel penalty in an end-of-season promotion-relegation play-off – had already beaten Toulouse 44-14.

What wasn’t mentioned, however, was that win came on the third weekend of the campaign, back in September. Or that it had been Montpellier’s only win in the two sides’ last 10 meetings. Or that, as well as having the best attack this season, Toulouse boasted the second-best defence.

Given the conditions, the game was played at an insane pace. Paris was under red weather alert because of the heatwave, and orange alert for storms. Nearly an hour into the evening’s action, the temperature in the capital was still 30C.

With tackles flying in, it was almost inevitable that the first score would be something freakish. And so it was, Mauvaka dummying filthily to wrong-foot the last defender on the way to a 50m run-in following a cheeky lineout one-two with Antoine Dupont. The match was just seven minutes in.

His second, after 33 minutes, was more typical for a hooker, as he picked up a pop pass from Dupont close to the line and crashed through two defenders, after Manny Meafou had bulldozed his way to within inches.

That was the cue for Toulouse to inject yet more pace into the game. Four minutes later, they spread the ball across the pitch, Blair Kinghorn arced round Montpellier’s scrambling defence and released Teddy Thomas. He got to within 5m and overarmed a pass inside to Dupont to score.

Montpellier conceded an average of 23 points per match across the season. By halftime, Toulouse had scored 25. It looked ominous for the 2022 champions.

They hit back immediately after the restart, replacement Justo Piccardo, on for Arthur Vincent who had failed an HIA, scoring under the posts. Another replacement, fly-half Leo Coly in his last game for Montpellier, darted clear after 64 minutes to pull the challengers to within eight points.

But for a cruel bounce and some opportunist cynicism from Mathis Lebel, it could have been closer. Young centre Auguste Cadot’s sleight-of-hand pass to hooker Jordan Uelese in the 45th minute did not go to hand, but his hack ahead prompted a footrace with Lebel. The ball kicked awkwardly off the corner flag, beating both players – but, off his feet, the Toulouse winger palmed the ball into touch.

He was sent to the sin-bin, but the referee decided against a penalty try.

As Toulouse had the upper hand in the first half, so Montpellier were in the ascendancy in the second. But, though they huffed and they puffed, they could not blow Toulouse’s house all the way down. After Coly’s try, the champions cup rugby-ed their way to the whistle.

It wasn’t entirely straightforward, and they had to scramble more than once to claim their 25th title in 32 finals – and they were their own worst enemy as often as not in the closing moments – but, in truth, the title had been in the bag since the end of the opening period.