Fate is sometimes mischievous.

He wanted these two big names in French rugby to play their last professional match together against the team with which they played the very first.

It was September 1, 2004 for Picamoles.

The French championship was still called the Top 16 and a great story began that day for the powerful third center line, crowned champion of France (2011 and 2012) and Europe (2010) with Toulouse before being made king in England, at Northampton.

"It's always special to meet Montpellier, for lots of different reasons," confided "King Louis" this week to AFP.

"It will forever remain the club in which I started, where I did not have the end that I dreamed of".

Trinh-Duc made his debut the following year at the MHR, the club of his city, which he left only in 2016 to join successively Toulon, Racing 92 and UBB this season, for a last freelance.

Bordeaux's Louis Picamoles (ball in hand) for his last against Montpellier in the semi-final of the Top 14 in Nice, June 18, 2022 CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP

The two men were part of Montpellier's "fantastic four" at the end of the 2000s with scrum-half Julien Tomas, already retired, and third row Fulgence Ouedraogo, who will take over next week after eighteen seasons. in the Hérault.

Guirado, one last dance

Pragmatically dismissed from the group of 23 by Montpellier coach Philippe Saint-André, "Fufu" (35 years old, 39 selections), the man of a club, did not have the opportunity on Saturday to meet one last time his two lifelong friends.

Trinh-Duc (35 years old, 66 selections) and Picamoles (36 years old, 82 selections), vice-world champions in 2011 with the Blues, were entitled to a last stand at the Allianz Riviera in Nice.

The third line converted second line came into play in the 50th minute.

His fellow opener five minutes later in place of Matthieu Jalibert, whom he had rather advantageously replaced during his long absence this season and whom he could have sent to the test at the end of the match on a low kick.

Last week, just after the Girondins' victory in the play-off against Racing 92 (36-16), the young international opener had, in a context of tensions with coach Christophe Urios, a thought for his two teammates on the point to hang up the crampons.

Montpellier hooker Guilhem Guirado expresses his happiness in Nice, after qualifying for the Top 14 final, June 18, 2022 NICOLAS TUCAT AFP

"We are not playing for Christophe. We are just on a mission for the players," he said.

"We have players like François or Louis who are going to end their careers. After all they have given to French rugby, we just want to get them out the front door".

It missed.

The last dance, next Friday in the final at the Stade de France, will be for another emblematic player of French rugby of the 2010s: their former captain in the France team and current Montpellier hooker Guilhem Guirado.

© 2022 AFP