Logic respected: the two best teams of the regular phase, locomotives of French rugby for several seasons now, will meet next Saturday (21:00) at the Stade de France.
It will be a remake, expected, of the 2021 final won by Stade Toulousain (18-8) a few weeks after that of the European Cup.
A rare double, only achieved by Toulouse (1996 and 2021) and Toulon (2014), coveted in turn by Stade Rochelais, whose progression is meteoric since its rise to the elite less than ten years ago.
After retaining the Champions Cup after an incredible reversal of situation against Leinster (27-26), the club at the Caravelle is waiting for a first title of champion of France to definitively validate its entry into the big league.
UBB stopped for the third time in a row at the gates of the final, but its mere presence in the last four is almost a miracle this year.
It saves a complicated season, marked by the ouster in November of its voluble manager, Christophe Urios, whose assistants Frédéric Charrier and Julien Laïrle have ensured the relay pending the arrival of Yannick Bru at the controls.
Balloons carried
In a stadium of Anoeta rather acquired to their cause, the Maritimes released in the first act the same impression of mastery and superiority as Toulouse the day before against Racing 92 (41-14), before slightly lowering the foot.
Serene, applied, they also quickly took the lead thanks to a corner try from their South African winger Dillyn Leyds (9th), after a beautiful skipped pass from Tawera Kerr-Barlow, then on a school ball concluded by hooker Pierre Bourgarit (21st).
The symbol of the dominance of the Stade Rochelais forwards, who also systematically hit the touch in the first half rather than take points on affordable penalties.
© GAIZKA IROZ / AFP
A strategy that paid off again on Paul Boudehent's try, just before the break, magnificently served, after contact, by his captain Gregory Alldritt.
The Trial of Hope
Ronan O'Gara's men barely trembled when the UBB, refreshed, kept hope alive on a penalty try (49th) for a foul by Boudehent, punished with a yellow card on the same occasion.
The Girondins were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority and the double European champions regained control of a match that lost intensity.
It should be another affair at the Stade de France against Toulouse and their cohort of internationals, who will have benefited from an extra day to recover.
A potentially important detail since La Rochelle had more to work this week in the Basque heat.
The Toulousains, winners of eight of their last nine confrontations in all competitions, should find a completely different team than that of 2021.
Since then, it has new arguments to make: a reliable striker (Antoine Hastoy), some collective certainties and two Champions Cups in its trophy cabinet.
© 2023 AFP