GRENOBLE HAVE PULLED off the shock of the Top 14 season by beating Toulon 22-21 in the Stade Mayol.
Those who follow the French league will know that away wins are rare, but the Bernard Jackman and Mike Prendergast-coached Grenoble are the first team to win in Toulon in just over a year.
The stunning victory was sealed with a late intercept try by winger Alipate Ratini, who picked off Jonny Wilkinson’s pass to streak over from the halfway line. The Fijian dotted down under the sticks, allowing Julien Caminati to convert and ensure success.
Scrum-half Valentin Courrent kicked four penalties, while out-half Fabian Gengenbacher slotted a smart drop-goal from distance. The win was otherwise built on superb defence, the area that Jackman leads in his current role as Defence and Collisions Coach.
Unfortunately, Irish scrum-half James Hart was absent from the team sheet for the away side, alongside a handful of other first-team regulars. Toulon, however, were close to full strength for this clash, and the likes of Wilkinson, Mathieu Bastareaud and Bakkies Botha looked stunned at the final whistle.
Grenoble move up to fifth, in the play-off positions, after this win, although that may change depending on results later in the day. Either way, the Irish-influenced club from the Isére region are on the rise and Toulon were their latest victims.
The sight of current head coach Fabrice Landreau in tears at the end said it all.
Credit: @saintmtex
