Toulouse (AFP)

Stade Toulousain returned to the top 6 by winning Sunday against Montpellier (25-7) with the offensive bonus.

This success, acquired without its internationals, allows Stade Toulousain to settle in 6th place (40 pts), and to get closer to La Rochelle (3rd with 42 pts).

A bitter score for Montpellier, as the Toulousains were by phases dominated by the MHR and the game plan of its trainer Xavier Garbajosa, former Rouge et noir.

But the figures are there: after for this 4th confrontation of the season between the two Occitania teams, the Red and Black lead 3 wins to one (2 in European Cup for Toulouse, 1 success everywhere in Top 14).

The Toulousans offered several sumptuous sequences of "Toulouse game" on Sunday which enabled Ugo Mola players to quickly lead the scoring and manage their lead.

Opposite, Montpellier, who had his hand on the ball the rest of the time, lacked realism at the conclusion.

Xavier Garbajosa's men did not take advantage of the mistakes of the Toulouse people who took risks several times by raising by hand from their 22 meters.

Under the eyes of Romain Ntamack, returned from Cardiff and applauded by the 17,000 spectators of the Stade Ernest-Wallon, the Toulouse stadium made Montpellier bend from its first attack, on an acceleration on the right side of the winger Lucas Tauzin, returned from Marcoussis, concluded by the opener Zack Holmes (6).

In the same place, the South African Cheslin Kolbe placed a start and zigzagged in the Montpellier defense to mark Pierre Pagès along the line before the break (35).

The champions of France have definitely taken off on a ball recovered by Kolbe: the Toulouse scrum half Pierre Pagès, established in the absence of Antoine Dupont and Sébastien Bézy, took the Montpellier defenders off the pace and offered the test in Tauzin (63).

The 4th Toulouse test returns for many to the South African from Montpellier Serfontein, author of a pass on his line, intercepted by the young Matthis Lebel who only had to flatten (72) to find the offensive bonus.

Meanwhile, the Fijian Nemani Nadolo had registered the only test of Montpellier (71), at the conclusion of a push from the front.

Defeated at the last minute against Racing, a week ago, the defending champion had the obligation to prevail in order not to clinch the race in the top 6.

© 2020 AFP