The elimination of Toulouse can be explained by many factors.
The value of the opponent first and foremost.
Exeter has reigned over England for 18 months and has finally managed to extend his dominance on the continental stage.
The strange preparation too.
A single collective training for the whole week, stress linked to numerous PCR tests and the fear of an imposed package.
And again the influx that evaporates, the annoyance that rises with the last 24 hours confined in their hotel in England, before being deprived of changing rooms to find themselves in a canvas tent outside the Sandy Park.
We can also mention the average success of Thomas Ramos against the poles (3/5).
But the elimination is also explained - above all - by the fate of three key men in the Toulouse system.
A quickly leaden conquest
Rynhardt Elstad and Richie Arnold forfeits, Toulouse only had two second business lines at kickoff.
Holders of course.
The exit, from the 23rd minute, of Rory Arnold, fractured right forearm, disorganized and weakened the Toulouse pack.
Deprived of his control tower (the Australian measures 2.08 m) in touch, a few throws were misplaced or poorly controlled.
In closed scrum, the building also sometimes pitched, Albin Placines, substitute third row doing his best.
Finally, on the balls carried, the Toulouse forwards (who finished the match with five third business lines…) were clearly dominated by the tough and meticulous pack from Exeter.
Conceding three tries on this phase of play, including two scored by the powerful pillar Harry Williams.
"Rory Arnold's injury hurt us," confirms international flanker François Cros.
He's our line-up and God knows how good the Exeter line is.
His exit put us a little blow in the head. "
The Kolbe dependency
With four tries scored in three matches, the South African winger is the fit man.
To the point of embodying the X factor, the savior capable of making a difference, and of being served excessively.
Too quickly, without the beginnings of a shift, pure to find himself facing two or three defenders as the Chiefs watched him like milk on fire.
If, on an action of which he has the secret, Cheslin Kolbe eliminated three Englishmen creating an imbalance which resulted in the test of Placines, he was more often caught, cut up, pushed into touch.
To come out, the body chewed, also complaining of calf pain, shortly after the hour of play (66th minute).
With statistics certainly more than honorable - 73 meters covered, three crossings (the best totals on the Toulouse side) - but the impression of having facilitated the task of the defense of Exeter who had decided to closely monitor the champion. of the world.
#EXEST
⏱ 36 '|
7-11
SUPERB!
What a movement from Toulouse who reacted magnificently in this semi-final, 11 to 7!
️ The match live: https://t.co/TcuFLPIhLgpic.twitter.com/ts4zSuoren
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) September 26, 2020
A Dupont under pressure
He's the other strong man at the start of the season on the Toulouse side.
The scrum-half creates gaps, puts his team back in the advance.
Saturday again, Antoine Dupont struggled.
But the threat was stale, the English third line watched, led by a Dave Ewers omnipresent in the tackle.
Behind a jostled pack, number 9 did what he could, only gaining 26 short meters.
Muzzled, he looked for the solution elsewhere, trying to make a difference in the process.
With, sometimes, a guilty lack of patience, in particular on a few jumps which were not necessary to end up too quickly at the end of the line without the slightest excess.
Read also
Tops / Flops Exeter-Toulouse: historic first for the Chiefs, the Stade has lost ground