IT MIGHT HAVE started out as an Expendables camp full of aging stars in the south of France but over time, Mourad Boudjellal’s passion for Toulon rugby has infected even the biggest earners in his squad.
After becoming the president of the club in 2006, Boudjellal’s side endured some tough seasons but now Toulon are a freight train who don’t know how to go any way other than forward.
Today was probably their worst performance in a meaningful game since choking in the 2013 Top 14 final against Castres but their veteran players made big plays at important times.
Well, except Ali Williams who was sin-binned in extra time but that galvanised Toulon’s experienced core and saw them home against Leinster.
First, Chris Masoe won a turnover penalty that allowed them to take the lead before their bloodhound of a wing sniffed out an interception opportunity.
Their eccentric owner exploded with raw passion after Bryan Habana’s score, and it was great to see such emotion from an owner. He comes out with some fairly off-the-wall statements at times but Boudjellal’s enthusiasm is good for the game.
The Toulon experiment is funded by Mourad’s millions but at this stage it has developed into so much more than just a collection of galacticos.
Exactly. Hence during the 6 nations toulon committed only 3 squad players to the france national team. Mermoz, tiles borde, & basteraud , I don’t know why they have an academy as they’ll never break into the 1st team as he has to play the big names as he’s paying them. One of best new young players in france “gael fichou” was in toulon & they just let him go to toulouse, & he’s better off there.. It’s all about the money. Cmon clermont..
forwards dont exist in your world i take it since 4 toulon forwards were in the french squad Gurido Menini Suta and taofineua
Your right of course diarmuid. I saw an opening for a rant & i took it with the players that came to mind. Regardless of who I forgot the toulon experiment is not good for rugby. Some great players but false gods…
- Thank you Diarmuid! Menini, Guirado, Taofifénua, Suta, Tillous-Borde, Mermoz, Basta that’s quite a contingent of France internationals
- piohmy, if they’re good enough, sooner or later they’ll break info the 1st tram. Last week, a 100% academy front row (Chiocci/Fresia – Orioli – Chilachava), 5 from the front 8 with Mikautadze & Bruni, smashed Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble away. That’s huge by french standards. You shouldn’t compare RCT with somme celtic province/région but with other Top14 sides. And they do respect the JIFF (France homegrown) rules — a max of 16 non-JIFF per squad + minimum 12 JIFF players per league game
- as for Gaël Fickou, he’s no academy player. He was trained in the nearby town of La Seyne, moved to Toulon at 17 for a trying, but PSA, weeks before getting the Bleus job, didn’t want him. Laporte, his successor, tried to keep him unfortunately he had already signed for Toulouse
- Will, his passion for Toulon & the club is genuine. There’s an even better clip featuring Mourad & Bernie the Mad crying in the Aviva after the 2013 H Cup final. They built a genuine team spirit. 7 finals and counting in 4 years, under Laporte. It takes more than money to reach at least the final on every compétition you entered in 4 years. Tell Racing’s Lorenzetti, Stade Français’ Savare or Montpellier’s Altrad ’bout that
- heart-stopping thriller today, you guys can be proud of your team, best of luck for the rest of the season!
- apologies for the poor english language, am french and slightely drunk
I’m sorry but boudjellal only cares about the money, this was the guy who said that foreign players shouldn’t play for their home nations while he was paying them !!! And he was also on the verge of releasing halfpenny when he was injured earlier in the season, the guy cares for money and nothing else
How is that pr!ck allowed wind up the crowd at a neutral venue ???
They are only a team of mercenaries and thats not against the rules i suppose but its hard not to feel its detrimental to rugby
Or is it relief to once again justify to himself the vulgar amounts of money he spends.
Yeah, I’m sure Boudjellal cares about victory. So much so he’ll throw money at it until he achieves it. There’s nothing to admire about the Toulon style of rugby. Amazing players, but a team that are an affront to the game.
If rugby wants to stop the sport from becoming a plutocracy it can act now. The lessons from football are clear: introduce uniform pan-European financial regulations NOW or we’ll forever be nostalgic about the gold old days where it was all more meritocratic. The genie is out of the bottle. TV € talks. Rugby’s authorities are nowhere to be seen, a staggering act of negligence given (a) the obvious lessons taught about football by the likes of Chelsea and (b) how relatively easy it’d be to change rugby’s institutional structures (a new pro sport versus a century of pro structure in football). Rugby needs a pan-European league, with strict ownership and financial rules and divisional “conferences” to preserve the original league traditions but with inter-conference competition such as the European Cup adding the extra spice. Money needs to flow downstream on a mandatory basis e.g., from Irish provinces to AIL, to preserve domestic integrity, to keep things joined up rather than an system that benefits the elite only. I think the AIL is neglected in Ireland at the expense of the pro game. Elephant in room.
We can complain about French benefactors all we like but Irish provinces benefit from a national Union subsidy. It’s just that our national subsidy can’t compete with the Saracens / Toulon individual benefactor subsidy.
That said, you can argue all you want about benefactors and salary caps. Today was a compelling game, played by humans not cash machines. Gripping stuff.
Well done Toulon and Clermont. Great clubs, great people.
Good man Robsonkeane jumping over from the Connacht bandwagon to TOP14 one .
Trying to get a reaction but instead your showing your a t*t
toulon are the direct picture you get when you describe merceneries and they dont even play good brand of rugby the majority of neutral supporters will want clearmont to win the final with the style of play they have
And as for good team good people suggests its about an area the people come from and the people that play there are from toulon
toulon are international mercenairies from all areas of the globe
Mourad’s body language when McFadden went off injured was disgusting as was the cat calling from their fans. Classy they are not
And the ass hole knobson keeps giving
That’s the face of a man who is on the verge of buying a third European Cup
He’s happy as if they win he will get more money
He probably going to get a massive bonus for getting Toulon to the final and Habana just got him that bonus that’s why the jumping around
Eh – he owns the club – he pays the bonuses!!