Their second meeting in unknown territory will again take place on the banks of the Garonne, but after having (almost) filled the Stadium, the Toulouse will return to their usual den of Ernest-Wallon.

A slightly smaller enclosure for an opponent probably a notch above if we rely on the 50 points passed Saturday by the Sharks of Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzbeth to the Irish of Munster (50-35).

The Bulls of Jake White, the coach of the Springboks world champions in 2007, are the only one of the three South African franchises invited since this season to the table of Europeans to remain at the door of the quarters.

The Pretoria-based team lasted just over half time against the five-time European champions, who folded the game with two tries in the space of five minutes.

The first, in his usual register, in power, by the Australian colossus -- coveted by the Blues -- Emmanuel Meafou, unstoppable when he arrives launched so close to the goal.

The joy of Toulouse Matthis Lebel (l) and Antoine Dupont after a try scored by the first against the Bulls, on April 2, 2023 in Toulouse © Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP

The second in the corner, flirting with the touchline, by winger Matthis Lebel. Enough to console him (a little) to have been overtaken by the young Lyonnais Ethan Dumortier in the France team.

Merchant Wounded

The Toulouse had struggled until then to concretize their domination. The fault of the showers that made the ball slippery and a South African defense long brave on its line.

The indiscipline of the Bulls had still allowed the leader of the Top 14 to race in the lead thanks to Thomas Ramos, once again enterprising and successful against the poles (7 out of 7), in line with his last outings with the Blues.

Toulouse's Argentine centre Juan Cruz Mallia against the South African Bulls, on April 2, 2023 in Toulouse © Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP

Also impressive in the selection during the recent Six Nations Tournament, Thibaud Flament started the match on the bench, a sign of the depth of the Toulouse squad.

It didn't take long for him to come to the fore, a quarter of an hour after his entry, with an opportunistic try on an opposing mess to inflate the score.

Ugo Mola even had the luxury of bringing out his scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont in the 65th minute to blow him in the perspective of the new fight expected against the Sharks.

Only shadow on the table: the exit on injury at the half hour of play of the international hooker Julien Marchand, visibly hit on the left ankle.

A shadow hangs over its presence in the quarter-finals, during which the France will have only two representatives this year, La Rochelle and Toulouse. The last two European champions.

© 2023 AFP