This eleventh success of the season, the sixth at home where they are still undefeated, allows Toulouse to consolidate their leading position by now counting eight points ahead of Stade Français, beaten the day before in Perpignan.
The Rouge et Noir also have sixteen points more than their victim of the evening, who left the Top 6 after this third defeat in five matches, the third in a row away from the reigning French champions.
Deprived of eight players retained by the staff of the Blues to prepare for the Six Nations Tournament (Dupont, Ntamack, Jelonch, Flament, Baille, Marchand, Ramos and Jaminet), the five-time European champion had notably decided to align his usual winger Argentinian Juan Cruz Mallia at the opening.
Like his team, clumsy and uninspired, the Argentinian struggled to guide his team in the first half.
More enterprising if not realistic, the Montpellier residents concretized their slight domination thanks to the foot of their opener Louis Carbonel (3/4) to reach the break in the lead (9-3).
The angel Capuozzo
More conquering on the return from the locker room, the Toulousains were also well helped by the indiscipline of Hérault.
Sanctioned by two yellow cards in less than ten minutes, first Jan Serfontein (54th) then Thomas Darbon (61st), the defending champion paid cash for his numerical inferiority by conceding two tries from Guillaume Cramont (56th) and Ange Capuozzo (18th). -9, 66th).
The Italian international, whom the French will face them for the opening of the Tournament in a week, then distinguished himself a second time to offer the offensive bonus to his people after a slalom along the line .
The Reds and Blacks can thank him.
The Blues, they would be well advised to closely monitor the transalpine elf.
© 2023 AFP