Leinster – Toulouse: the Toulouse champion eliminated, the summary of the match

earthpressnews
Leinster Toulouse the Toulouse champion eliminated the summary of

18:25 – Thank you

Thank you all for following us for this live commentary of the Champions Cup semi-final between Stade Toulousain and Leinster.

18:20 – Who against Leinster?

Qualified brilliantly for the final of the Champions Cup, their fifth, Leinster will know tomorrow who will face them on May 28 in Marseille to challenge them for the European title. Only thing certain, it will be a French club since tomorrow at 4 p.m., Racing 92 welcomes La Rochelle.

18:10 – Leinster were too strong

There will have been no third miracle for Stade Toulousain. His third coming to Ireland will have been a long ordeal, that of a team wrung out by the methodism of a well-honed opponent and carried by a formidable public. The European champion will have believed it for a handful of minutes, when at the very beginning of the first period, Dupont countered a kick from Gibson-Park and spun for a 90-meter counter planted the first try of the semi-final. An anomaly as the pressure was already strong on Toulouse. Not enough to derail the Leinster blue train. Imposing a crazy intensity, constantly cornering their opponents in their camp, the Irish went wild and ended up making the Toulouse defense bend after fifteen minutes by Lowe, well served in delivery by Sexton. Five minutes later, van der Flier added a second for good measure after another breakthrough. Cornered in his camp, the reigning European champion was unable to respond, wiping the incessant Irish waves, and committing an abnormal number of faults.

Surely blunted by the sequence of matches in a new trying season, Ugo Mola’s men never found the key to their game. Worse, they sank and gave in once again in the 50th minute when Lowe, walking , signed a double, after a ball lost in touch in the Irish camp and a clearance blocked by Mallia in its 22 meters. Tolofua maintained a tiny hope of yet another miracle thanks to a corner try from the sideline but in vain. The difference in level was too colossal between the two European titans and as a symbol, after a game reversal and a well-felt kick from Byrne in the right angle recovered by the untenable Lowe, Keenan came complete the Irish demonstration by reviewing the French defense, slipping into the gap left by Baille and Ainu’u to the left of the posts. Aviva Stadium was already roaring and enjoying the performance of his people. Without ever having trembled, as in 2019, Leinster dismissed Stade Toulousain, sent back to their national games.

18:07 – Only one Leinster scorer

This season, only one team has managed to bring down Leinster at home. It was Ulster on November 27 (10-20). The Irish have won their 11 other meetings in front of their home crowd.

18:02 – Dupont: “A lesson in pragmatism”

“I think we learned a lesson in pragmatism, in strategy. We were locked up in our camp from the start of the match. We know that Leinster attack their games very hard and score a lot of points. We have this test against the run of play but we couldn’t get our heads out of the water, nor found the solutions today”admitted Antoine Dupont, touched after the elimination of Stade Toulousain in the semi-final of the Champions Cup.

17:53 – Toulouse gives up its title

At the end of a one-sided semi-final, Stade Toulousain bows heavily against Leinster and will not defend its title on May 28 in Marseille. Physically affected, too undisciplined and clumsy, the Toulousains were surpassed in all areas of the game from conquest to organization and animation. If they managed to score the first try of the match on a counter flash from Dupont, they then suffered the Irish waves, methodically orchestrated by a new brilliant Sexton at the foot and in his management of the tempo. With four tries in the suitcases, the outgoing European champions leave the competition with honors and let the Irish go to the final.

17:51 – Byrne transformation

Facing the posts, Byrne put an end to the Irish demonstration and the Toulouse torture (40-17).

17:50 – Keenan’s Finisher

This time, it’s over for Toulouse’s tiny hopes of saving face. On a ball tapped in the back by Byrne, Lowe recovers. Support arrived quickly and the Irish line of attack was organised. The ball is extracted towards Keenan. The back reviews the Toulouse defense and throws himself into the gap left by Baille and Ainu’u to score Leinster’s 4th try (38-17).

17:49 – Nothing is going right

The ball is captured by the Toulouse alignment but Tolofua loses the ball trying to extract it from his maul. Leinster gives itself some air.

17:48 – One last cartridge?

On the center line, the Toulouse scrum collects a penalty. Ntamack finds a touch 5 meters from the opposing in-goal. Toulouse want to save honor at the end of the match.

17:44 – Byrne tops up the bill

Under the posts, 10 meters away, Byrne takes over from Sexton and succeeds in his penalty, obtained following an offside from the Toulouse defense. Leinster is now 16 units ahead of Stade Toulousain 6 minutes from the end of the match (33-17). The final seems unattainable for the outgoing European champion.

17:42 – Interception by Lowe

Dupont and Ntamack redouble in the axis and the opener obliques his race. Locked in by three opponents, he wants to pass on but Lowe, dragging, intercepts. He hits long in front and forces Ramos to fall back and make a risky raise. Toulouse can no longer return the ball.

17:41 – Ntamack misses the touch

The Toulouse scrum sinks its vis-à-vis and collects a penalty. Ntamack tries to extend as much as possible but misses the touch sending the ball into the arms of Keenan who clears his camp.

17:40 – Toulouse recovery

Ntamack causes a loss of ball from the Irish attackers and gleans a scrum near his 40 meters on the opposing front.

17:38 – Two changes in Toulouse

Last player present on the bench, Page Relo comes into play in place of Ahki. He takes the place in melee, shifting Dupont at the opening and Ntamack in the middle. A few minutes later, Neti returns to the bench limping and Baille resumes service.

lnte1