Paris (AFP)

The Toulouse stadium has made La Rochelle suffer again.

Winners of the Top 14 and European Cup finals last season against these same Rochelais, the Toulousains began the 2021-2022 exercise, Sunday evening, with a success on the wire (20-16) in Charente-Maritime .

The Maritimes thought they had the victory but it still failed.

The Red and Black have long stumbled on the yellow and black defense.

But less than a quarter of an hour from the end, Romain Ntamack, with a flamboyant breakthrough, brought the first and only try to his family to reverse the course of the match.

The red card inflicted on the Australian juggernaut Will Skelton (57) for a charge with the shoulder against the head of his compatriot Richie Arnold, second row of Toulouse, weighed heavily in the balance.

As in the Champions Cup final, where Levani Botia was definitively excluded from the first period, Grégory Alldritt and his partners had to fight outnumbered.

It must also be said that, as on the continental front and in the final of the Top 14, the Maritimes let slip points in front of the poles, their cute sin: four failed attempts including three for Jules Plisson alone.

On the Toulouse side, Thomas Ramos was still valuable, with a 5/7 in front of the posts.

The international full-back had already distinguished himself in the Top 14 final at the end of June at the Stade de France, notably by signing a nice drop.

His last penalty allowed his team to take four steps ahead in the "money time".

Ugo Mola's men were not immune from a test but they held up.

Toulouse scrum half Antoine Dupont clears the ball during the Top 14 clash against La Rochelle on his lawn, September 5, 2021 XAVIER LEOTY AFP

The Rochelais stadium therefore had to be satisfied with the defensive bonus and still remains punished against Toulouse.

In five duels with the Rouge et Noir last season, the Maritimes did not win once, falling in a preparation match, twice in the regular season and especially during the two summits, Twickenham and then at the Stade de France.

- Clermont "frustrated" in front of Lyon -

Absent from the last final phase, Lyon earlier started their season on the right foot at home by controlling Clermont (28-19) three tries to one.

"I am relieved. We knew it would not be easy. We had a very small workforce. The players were mobilized throughout the preparation. I felt good energy from the start," said Pierre Mignoni, manager of the Lou.

The Auvergne, however, struck first through one of their new recruits, Irish opener JJ Hanrahan.

But the Rhodaniens replied in the wake of Xavier Mignot.

Then, still in the first period, the young winger (20 years old) Ethan Dumortier distinguished himself with a double in less than five minutes, showing his speed on the synthetic turf at the Gerland stadium.

Lyonnais Ethan Dumortier scores a try against ASM Clermont in Lyon, September 5, 2021 JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK AFP

"We are frustrated. We are fine for thirty minutes. Then we give too many points easily, with one try conceded after a low kick consecutive to a touch, and another after a scrum ... These faults can be resolved ", lamented scrum half Morgan Parra, one of Clermont's most prominent.

With a transformation and four penalties, the former N.9 of the XV of France reached the bar of 42 consecutive successful kicks and set a new record.

The previous one (41) was held by one of his former partners, the Australian Broke James, and had been held since March 2009.

© 2021 AFP