A SUPERB ANTOINE Dupont scored twice as Toulouse hammered Bordeaux-Begles 59-3 on Friday to secure a domestic and Champions Cup double with victory in the French Top 14 final.
Scrum-half Dupont, 27, made his contributions early in the second half as the holders claimed both trophies in one season for a third time with a record score.
Bordeaux-Begles had just one Maxime Lucu penalty on the scoreboard as they conceded nine tries in their first appearance in a final in either competition.
Humid and warm conditions in front of a sold-out 67,000-capacity Stade Velodrome welcomed both sides, with Paris’ Stade de France out of use due to the upcoming Olympic Games.
Bordeaux-Begles were handed a big boost as France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and Tonga loose-head prop Ben Tameifuna were passed fit after they had missed last Saturday’s semi-final win over Stade Francais.
Toulouse started without first-choice loose-head Cyril Baille, who suffered a serious ankle injury in the last four victory over La Rochelle.
Antoine Dupont with another try! 🔴⚫
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 28, 2024
Toulouse further extend their lead against Bordeaux Bègles in the Top 14 Final 👏 pic.twitter.com/uOHZ26mZFV
Giant front-rower Tameifuna wore a Tongan flag as the French national anthem rang around the Velodrome with French president Emmanuel Macron absent.
Toulouse were quick out of the blocks as Dupont crossed after just six minutes in his final game before France’s Olympic sevens squad is named on 8 July.
In the build-up to the try, the video referee adjudged Bordeaux-Begles’ No 8 Tevita Tatafu had made a high tackle and referee Ludovic Cayre showed the Japan back-rower a yellow card.
By the time Tatafu had returned to the field Toulouse led 10-3 after 16 minutes as full-back Thomas Ramos added to his conversion of Dupont’s first touchdown with a penalty in response to Maxime Lucu’s three-pointer for Bordeaux-Begles.
By the 25-minute mark Toulouse and a majestic Dupont were in total control.
Dupont set-up hooker Peato Mauvaka with a flat pass before scoring a second with a delightful chip kick and Ramos’ conversion made it 22-3.
Bordeaux-Begles in their maiden Top 14 final, coached by former Toulouse hooker Yannick Bru, were struggling with flankers Jack Willis and Francois Cros in superb form in defence for the champions.
Ramos extended the lead to 25-3 four minutes after the interval with a second penalty as Toulouse played up to their pre-match favourites tag.
With 25 minutes to go a tired-looking pair of Jalibert and Tameifuna had been replaced with Toulouse’s red and black clad fans sensing another Bouclier de Brennus title, first awarded in 1892.
Victory was confirmed with a quarter of an hour left as Ramos dived over, his try coming from a Dupont break.
A cruising Toulouse added a fifth and sixth try as hooker Julien Marchand and winger Blair Kinghorn crossed with ease before the loudest cheer of the game came as Dupont was replaced with 10 minutes to play.
Kinghorn’s try took Toulouse to 40 points and the record score in a Top 14 final.
Toulouse rubbed salt into Bordeaux-Begles wounds in the closing five minutes as Ramos added a second try, prop David Ainu’u and full-back Ange Capuozzo crashed over to cross the half century.
Unbelievable. Just when you think you’ve seen it all. What a player this guy is and what a team Toulouse is. Best team in Europe by a country mile.
@Ray Ridge: country mile lenister lost by inches v Toulouse dont over react
@Ray Ridge: “country mile” is ridiculous. Why do people have to make these sorts of statements nowadays? Why can’t you just say they’re the best team in Europe and leave it at that? If the wind had been favourable in the champions cup final Leinster would have been champions. Would they have been the best team in Europe “by a country mile” then? It’s the Trump influence I think. It’s pretty depressing when people are trying to emulate him.
@Fagin Strauss: the embarrassing thing is you wasted about 2 minutes replying to someone who was trying to troll u, and conceded. Ignore!
@Andrew Martin Farrell: I find muting the trolls actually works wonders. Makes the comments section much more bearable! You only see comments from those actually interested in rugby.
@Ruaidhri MagFhloinn: personally I mute most but the dafter ones like ole Ray I leave for an occasional chuckle
@Fagin Strauss: You’ve shot yourself on the foot here blaming the wind.
@Ciaran Kennedy: Sorry Ciaran, can’t see what you’re saying as you’re muted. Joking! :-D
Best team in the world, club or international. Does anybody really believe that Leinster choaked against them? Extra time and a dubious yellow card.
@PatN: if ringrose was there they would have won. A fully fit Ryan too
@PatN: ah ireland destroyed france in france this year best team in the world are SA we aint far behind
@Square: a French team devoid of DuPont…. Different gravy. He is the real talisman.
They would be up there with any international team. Brilliantly coached. Makes you realise what that European final was! To the winner, the spoils! Hope it’s an Irish team next year. Toulouse have definitely set the bar!
We are witnessing the Messi of rugby. Total game changer.
Fair play to them,only problem with being at the top is you are going to go down.
@Jb Walshe: You are
@Jb Walshe: you are 100% right, but the only thing worse than being on top and regressing is believing you are top and consistently not fulfilling your potential as NZ did from 87 to 2011.
@Keith Browne: subtle ….
The dominance of Toulouse in France is a reflection of how much the French Clubs have regressed this season. At season end, LAR, UBB and Stade were all very limited in their performances and possibly only Toulon looked like a Club building a future. Racing92, despite the arrival of Lancaster have become a ‘powder puff’ team.
The dominance of Toulouse probably emphasises just how competitive the URC has become and there is little doubt that teams in our League have improved, few more than Glasgow and Benetton. Add Sharks to those two as Clubs who will continue their upward progression next Season.
@Des Lamont: it shines a certain light on Leinster’s failure too. They have a similar quality squad to ST but while ST have been winning trophies, edging tight games when it mattered, Leinster have been the exact opposite. No other side in the URC has anything like the riches Leinster have but they haven’t even reached the final since the saffies are involved. It’s really quite damming
@Des Lamont: « French Clubs have regressed this season. »
I don’t think many have. Maybe R92 a bit, but look at Bordeaux, which is their first ever final, they have been phenomenal. Granted Bordeaux faded against a great Toulouse side. LAR could have beaten Toulouse apart from two red cards.