Paris (AFP)

Triple winner of the Champions Cup, Toulon has never yet lifted the "small" European Cup.

The RCT has the opportunity to remedy this in the final of the European Challenge against the ambitious English team Bristol and Semi Radradra, Friday (9 p.m.) in Aix-en-Provence.

Since 2015 and the hat-trick achieved on the roof of the continent, with Bernard Laporte at the helm, the Var club has won nothing.

In the meantime, he did well twice in the final of the French Championship but Racing 92 (2016) then Clermont (2017) had the last word.

And its two previous "Challenge Cup" finals, the RCT lost them: against the Cardiff Blues (2010) then Biarritz (2012).

"A trophy would mean a lot for the team. It would bring more confidence to the club," said Tongan scrum half Sonatane Takulua, who arrived at the start of the season on the French Riviera from England (Newcastle).

A title on Friday would also be the first in a new era for the RCT, which changed its president this year.

The entrepreneur Bernard Lemaître succeeded Mourad Boudjellal, at the head of the club for fourteen years (2006-2020).

So far, Patrice Collazo's men have made no mistake on the European front.

They even knew only victory, since they also won their six group matches.

After dismissing the Welsh Scarlets (11-6) in the quarter-finals, the Toulonnais rose to power against the English Leicester (34-19) in the half.

Facing the Tigers, Gabin Villière, one of the men in form of the RCT, had distinguished himself by registering two tries.

The good performances of the winger from Normandy (24 years old) did not go unnoticed by the coach of the XV of France Fabien Galthié who summoned him for the first time in his list of 31 Blues to prepare France-Wales (24 October) after Matthieu Jalibert's withdrawal.

Besides Villière, Toulon can count on a very solid workforce in Aix-en-Provence, in front of 1,000 spectators, despite the absences of Anthony Belleau (knee), Julien Hériteau (shoulder), Jérémy Boyadjis (foot), Facundo Isa (thigh) , Thomas Jolmès (shoulder), Ramiro Moyano (thigh) and Kalani Robert (knee).

- European premiere for Bristol -

Strength, it will take to block the road of the Bristol Bears and Semi Radradra, which left good memories in the French championship.

The Fijian center, passed through Toulon (2017-2018), then wreaked havoc with Bordeaux-Bègles before migrating last summer to England.

But Radradra is not the only one, near Bristol, to have passed by the edges of the harbor.

"I love Toulon, the city, the team. I have very good memories. I really enjoyed playing for this team. I have kept friends. I speak on social networks with Charles Ollivon, Romain Taofifenua . We spoke this week ", explained the second line English international Dave Attwood, Toulonnais in 2018, on the site of the organizers of the competition.

Undefeated in the European Challenge (7 wins, 1 draw), the Bristol "bears" are aiming for a first continental trophy, after failing in the semi-finals of the English Championship against the Wasps (47-24) last Saturday.

"We were very sad after the game but we don't have time to think about it. This Challenge Cup final is our last chance to win a trophy," insists Attwood.

Toulon is warned.

© 2020 AFP