On the shores of the Mediterranean, Castres overwhelmed the defending champion.
Like many others, Toulouse stumbled upon this solid team (24-18), already crowned twice (2013, 2018) in the past ten years.
Nice was not the hottest place in France.
Far from it.
The thermometer rose much higher in Toulouse or Castres, but the 30°C which bathed the Allianz Riviera in sweat quickly brought this tussle to a boil, this derby between two candidates that everything opposed.
The Toulousans and their stars Dupont, Ntamack, Ramos, Marchand, Baille, Jelonch, mistreated during the regular phase, who thought they had done the hardest part by sending the brand new European champion, La Rochelle, to his studies over the weekend. previous end (33-28), started on the hats.
The inevitable Antoine Dupont quickly played a penalty for himself.
The breathless, suffocating, exhilarating action ended with a full axis sprint and a try by winger Matthis Lebel.
There were not two minutes of play. We then expected a red and black festival.
The 2021 French and European champion has no equivalent when he evolves at this speed.
But Castres did not finish first after 26 days by chance.
Castres in diesel mode
The Tarnais, resting last week, just needed to find their rhythm.
They took a little over twenty minutes and we then saw why they should not be taken lightly.
A combative, eye-catching team, armed in all sectors, Castres knows how to cover their tracks and turn heads.
And again, instead of pointing to a length of Toulouse (10-9), Pierre-Henry Broncan's players could have turned in a much better position at the break.
The arbitration was not in their favor.
A shoulder charge from second line Rory Arnold against the head of Castres winger Filipo Nakosi should have earned him a red card instead of a yellow card (22nd).
At the very end of half-time,
a dive by winger Geoffrey Palis on a kick to follow that seemed perfectly within the rules was ruled as a knock-on by video refereeing.
Test refused and reason for the Tarnais to find material for revolt.
It arises in the form of a try from scrum half Santiago Arata, in a mouse hole, limited because the player has crawled.
She forces the starred club to feats.
That of Romain Ntamack, a race of forty meters, allows him to pick up the score (16-15, 47th).
Insufficient because it was the evening of Castres.
On a kick to follow from the opener Urdapilleta, the rear Dumora sent his people to the stars and the Stade de France next Friday.