Paris (AFP)
Stade Toulousain, the reigning French champions, won five trophies on Monday at the Olympia during Rugby Night, including three for South African pocket winger Cheslin Kolbe.
Voted best player in the Top 14 a few weeks after being world champion with the Springboks, Kolbe, who succeeds New Zealand opener Ben Botica (then Oyonnax), was preferred to teammate Antoine Dupont and Clermont Damian Penaud , who catches up with the title of Best Blue.
Kolbe also returns to the Pink City with, in pocket, the title of best player of the Top 14 at the World Cup-2019 in Japan and the author of the best test of the season, in May, in front of Pau after a superb tightrope number at the conclusion of a crazy race of 90 m.
Toulouse also won the title of best technical staff, Ugo Mola, Régis Sonnes (forwards) and Clément Poitrenaud (back) having guided the Rouge et Noir towards their first title of champion of France since 2012.
Finally, the Stadists were rewarded for the class action of Jerome Kaino, who left his place when he raised the Brennus Shield: the New Zealander has indeed cleared to allow Julien Marchand, captain at the beginning of season but injured, to brandish the trophy with Maxime Médard.
Palmares
Top 14 player: Cheslin Kolbe (Stade Toulousain)
Best technical staff of Top 14: Stade Toulousain
Revelation: Pierre-Louis Barassi (Lyon)
Best French international: Damian Penaud (Clermont)
Top 14 player at the World Cup: Cheslin Kolbe (Stade Toulousain)
Best Pro D2 Player: Filimo Taofifenua (Aviron bayonnais)
Best technical staff of Pro D2: Aviron bayonnais
Best Referee: Jérôme Garcès
Best French international player: Pauline Bourdon (AS Bayonne)
Best public: CA Brive Corrèze Limousin
Fair play award: Jerome Kaino who leaves Julien Marchand, captain at the beginning of the season and injured, lift the shield of Brennus (Stade Toulousain)
Most beautiful test: Cheslin Kolbe, facing Pau (Stade Toulouse)
© 2019 AFP