Stade Toulousain manages to overthrow Lyon (36-31) and consolidates its throne in the Top 14 standings

Europe 1 with AFP 00:05, April 17, 2023

Despite a chaotic start to the match and a squad spared for the semi-final of the Champions Cup against Leinster in a fortnight, the Stade Toulousain won at home against Lyon (36-31) Sunday at the end of the 22nd day of Top 14. This fifteenth success of the season allows Toulouse to consolidate their leading position and take another step towards direct qualification for the semi-finals with eleven points ahead of third-placed Stade Français.

Beaten for the third time in a row, Lyon slipped to sixth place with only two points ahead of Union Bordeaux-Bègles (7th). Less than a fortnight before the long-awaited clash against Leinster, the Toulouse staff had clearly set its priority by leaving Lebel, Ahki, Mallia and Arnold in the stands. Baille, Willis, Meafou, Ramos and Dupont were on the bench.

>> READ ALSO – Rugby: "No worse suffering than injustice": Claude Atcher, former CEO of the 2023 World Cup, denounces a machination

Contrary to what was expected, the latter two did not stay very long: four minutes for Ramos forced to replace Arthur Retière (knee) and thirteen for the tricolor captain who came to replace Ange Capuozzo, visibly hit in the shoulder blade while returning from two months of absence for an identical injury. These successive blows of fate may explain the chaotic first ten minutes of Toulouse picked on two blocks of the LOU materialized by the winger of the Blues Ethan Dumortier (0-7, 6th) then in the wake by the center Josiah Maraku (0-14 10th).

Ramos on one wing

With Antoine Dupont at the opening, Romain Ntamack in the center and Thomas Ramos has an unusual position of winger, the Toulouse then took advantage of the two yellow cards inflicted on LOU, Couilloud (19) and Geraci (24), to knock their opponent just before the break after a penalty try and a breakthrough by Thibaud Flament (20-17).

>> READ ALSO – The XV of France is "perfectly prepared" for the World Cup, says the president of the Rugby League

Too undisciplined, Lyon were again reduced to 14 after a foul by Saginadze (57) that allowed Ramos to offer the break to his own (26-17). Six minutes later, Stade Toulousain took shelter thanks to Antoine Dupont after a beautiful collective action (33-17, 64th).

Despite two tries of the LOU in numerical superiority following the yellow card inflicted on Ntamack (69), the Toulouse resisted until the end. They now have an appointment in Paris to challenge Stade Français next Saturday. Again, the five-time European champion should rotate his squad to arrive as fresh as possible for his European semi-final in Dublin. Its stated objective.