“The last time I took the penalty shootout, I must have been in Crabos [les moins de 18 ans], with the Stadium! » Thomas Ramos has the bottle. And, at 26, the experienced back of Stade Toulouse and the XV of France is rarely surprised by the progress of a rugby match. But, Saturday, May 7, he admitted his bewilderment at the microphone of France 2 after the end of the European Cup quarter-final between Toulouse and Munster.
On the sunny lawn of the Aviva stadium in Dublin, the two teams did not seem to want to leave each other: tied at the end of regulation time then the two periods of extra time (24-24), Toulouse and “Munstermen » had to be decided on penalties. An extremely rare exercise in rugby, which has benefited Toulouse. Impeccable on penalties, the holders of the continental title qualified for the semi-finals (21-21, 4-2 on pens).
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“It’s incredible, this end of the match, acknowledged Thomas Ramos. We could have put the drop [qui aurait donné la victoire à Toulouse], they could have put the drop; but here we are, in the end we had more composure than them. » Iron nerves, even, for the Toulouse, who had recovered a disbursement of ten points in the second half to hang the extension.
A third Irish opponent in a row in the semi-finals?
In this clash between continental rugby heavyweights, the two teams went blow for blow. And, if the Irish played better at the start of the two periods, Toulouse systematically came back, to the point of ending in a logical draw at the end of the eighty minutes of regulation. Unable to decide in extra time, and having scored the same number of tries, each of the two teams had to appoint three shooters, responsible for kicking twice (on the 22-meter line, then that of 40). And the three French internationals – and recent winners of the Six Nations Tournament with the Blues – Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos and Romain Ntamack did not miss the target, unlike three of their opponents.
After qualifying in extremis in the round of 16 second leg, against Ulster, Stade Toulousain continues its European journey. “We were hot against Ulster, we were hot again today, but we still pass”, savored Ramos. In the semi-finals, the Rouge et Noir could face a third Irish team, if Leinster wins on Saturday at the English side of Leicester.
