Stade Toulousain crushed Union Bordeaux-Begles 48-12 at the Stade Ernest-Wallon on Sunday evening, delivering a dominant performance a week after a frustrating defeat away at La Rochelle.
Fullback Thomas Ramos said the team had wanted to show a different face, both in intensity and in the way they played, speaking to broadcaster Canal+ after the final whistle. He said Toulouse knew they would be facing a Bordeaux-Begles side that plays a great deal of rugby, and that the players may also have wanted to prove to themselves that they could perform at that level. He added that the squad had wanted to produce something more coherent, and were very pleased with the result, even though he felt the second half was less convincing than the first.
Stade Toulousain, coached by Ugo Mola, are one of the most successful clubs in French rugby history and play their home matches at the Stade Ernest-Wallon in the city of Toulouse. Union Bordeaux-Begles, based in southwestern France, are also regular contenders for domestic and European honours, and the fixture is one of the most closely watched derbies in the French game.
A dominant first half
The scale of the win sent a strong message to Toulouse's rivals in the Top 14, France's top professional rugby union league, and also strengthened the club's position in the table thanks to the bonus point picked up for the margin of victory over their regional rivals from Bordeaux.
Ramos said that given how the previous weekend had gone, the team would have taken a four-point win, so collecting five points was very positive. He said Toulouse had fallen short in the second half, come out of their own half poorly, and struggled more at the breakdown, all of which he said needed correcting. But he said the intensity Toulouse produced in the first half had been remarkable and reflected three, four, five weeks of pre-season work, adding that the squad felt in good shape and had just shown it on the pitch.
Record television audience
The match also proved a huge draw on television. According to Canal+, the broadcast beat a nine-year-old viewership record for the club, with close to a million people watching the game.
Toulouse's coaching staff also spoke about the players' mindset going into the fixture. Assistant coach Jean Bouilhou said the players had been eager to measure themselves against Bordeaux-Begles, ahead of the wide margin of victory that followed.
Injury updates
Toulouse's staff gave news on several players after the game, reporting a muscle issue for centre Manu Menoncello, saying flanker Jack Willis was left drained by the effort, and noting slight discomfort for lock Emmanuel Meafou.
Winger Kalvin Gourgues also reacted to the win, saying the team had been given a free hand to play, and that they had needed to play, to enjoy themselves and to take pleasure in the game.
Pitch criticised
The playing surface at Ernest-Wallon also came under criticism, with the state of the pitch described as being like a field and not worthy of a match between two of the division's top sides.
Separately, thirteen Toulouse players, several of them in their thirties, were named on the France national team's list of protected players, among them scrum-half Antoine Dupont, centre Romain Ntamack and Ramos himself.
Star names on show
The fixture had been billed beforehand as a showcase of some of French rugby's biggest names at Ernest-Wallon, including Dupont, Ntamack, Bordeaux-Begles fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The meeting also carried a family subplot, with brothers featuring on opposing sides adding a further dimension to the rivalry between the two clubs.
What's next
Gourgues had earlier said the club had not really had time to celebrate the end of last season before turning its attention to the new campaign. Toulouse can now prepare for an away trip to Vannes next weekend full of confidence after the win, with Bordeaux-Begles well and truly put on notice.
