Challenge Cup: Irish ride for Toulon

Highlights: Toulon beat Glasgow in the final of the European Champions Cup. It is the fourth time in five years that Toulon has won the competition. The last time was in 2000, when they beat Saracens. The result was the first time a French team had won the tournament. The other three were won by France, England and Wales. The final was held in Dublin, Ireland, on May 19, 2023. It was the second time in three years that a French side won the final.

Finally! Toulon, after four lost finals, broke the Indian sign by winning the Challenge Cup at the expense of the Glasgow Scots (43-19), Friday in Dublin, thus winning the last title that...

Thanks to six tries, three rapids from Baptiste Serin (5th, 26th) and Sergio Parisse (19th) and three others from Jiuta Wainiqolo (59th), Waisea Nayacalevu (65th) and Ihaia West (79th) in the second half, Toulon won with the second largest gap in the history of the Challenge finals, behind the 43-5 inflicted by Colomiers on Agen in 1998.

Better, the Vars, only 8th in the Top 14 one day from the end, save their season by securing a ticket for the Champions Cup next season.

RCT also joins England's Bath, Northampton and Wasps as well as Ireland's Leinster to become the fifth club to achieve the Champions Cup-Challenge Cup double.

The formation of the Rade, crowned in the "big" European Cup three times (2013, 2014, 2015), had so far fallen on the last step of Challenge: first in front of Cardiff in 2010, against Biarritz two years later then against Bristol in 2020 and Lyon last season.

Charles Ollivon's teammates also become the ninth French club to win titles in the "small" continental competition, joining Bourgoin-Jallieu (1997), Colomiers (1998), Clermont (1999, 2007, 2019), Pau (2000), Biarritz (2012), Montpellier (2016, 2021), Stade Français (2017) and Lou.

Formidable efficiency

Formidable efficiency, impressive in the rucks, the men of the duo formed by Pierre Mignoni and Franck Azéma, who had both already been crowned as players with Clermont, in 1999 and 20007 respectively, simply muzzled their Scottish opponents.

The Warriors fielded eleven players of the XV of the Thistle who had caused many problems to the Blues during the Six Nations Tournament (32-21).

Once again, it was the French who emerged victorious. And neither the premature exit of scrum-half Baptiste Serin (crutch) nor that of winger Gabin Villière (concussion) seemed to disturb the Rouge et Noir.

Nor did the try denied to Charles Ollivon (53rd) for offside. Those of the Scot Kyle Steyn (57th, 73rd), the Argentine Sebastian Cancelliere (68th) arrived far too late.

Ten years and one day after its first continental title, in front of Clermont (16-15), Toulon has put the cover back. It was already in Dublin. As if the club with the sprig of lily of the valley had found a four-leaf clover at the Aviva Stadium. Finally.

Challenge Cup: Irish ride for Toulon

Formidable efficiency

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