Toulon wins the Challenge Cup, Mathieu Bastareaud announces his retirement

After four lost finals, Toulon broke the curse, and finally won the Rugby Challenge Cup, Friday May 19, at the expense of the Scots from Glasgow (43-19), in Dublin, thus winning the last title which was still missing. his track record.

Mathieu Bastareaud, 34, announced, after the coronation of the RCT in this “small” European Cup, that he would retire at the end of the season. “It will be my last trophy and next week it will be my last game at Mayol [le stade de Toulon] »said the ex-international with 54 selections at the microphone of beIN Sport.

Thanks to six attempts, three rapids by Baptiste Serin (5^e26^e) and Sergio Parisse (19^e) then three others from Jiuta Wainiqolo (59^e), Waisea Nayacalevu (65^e) and Ihaia West (79^e) in the second half, Toulon won with the second widest gap in the history of Challenge finals, behind the 43-5 inflicted by Colomiers on Agen in 1998.

Muzzled opponents

Formidable efficiency, impressive in the rucks, the men of the duo formed by Pierre Mignoni and Franck Azéma – who had both already been crowned as players with Clermont, in 1999 then 2007 respectively – simply muzzled their Scottish opponents.

The Warriors however lined up eleven players from the XV du Thistle who had caused a lot of trouble for the Blues during the Six Nations Tournament (32-21). This time again, it was the French who won. And neither the premature exit of scrum-half Baptiste Serin (crutch), nor that of winger Gabin Villière (concussion), seemed to disturb the Rouge et Noir. No more than the test refused to Charles Ollivon (53^e) for offside. Those, very valid, of the Scotsman Kyle Steyn (57^e73^e), Argentinian Sebastian Cancelliere (68^e) came much too late.

The Varois, only 8^e in the Top 14 with one day remaining, save their season by securing a ticket to the Champions Cup next season. The RCT also join England’s Bath, Northampton and Wasps as well as Ireland’s Leinster to become the fifth club to have achieved the Champions Cup-Challenge Cup double. The formation of La Rade, crowned in the “big” European Cup three times (2013, 2014, 2015), had hitherto fallen on the last step of the Challenge: first in front of Cardiff in 2010, against Biarritz two years later then against Bristol in 2020 and Lyon last season.

Charles Ollivon’s teammates also become the ninth French club to win the competition, joining Bourgoin-Jallieu (1997), Colomiers (1998), Clermont (1999, 2007, 2019), Pau (2000), Biarritz (2012), Montpellier ( 2016, 2021), Stade Français (2017) and Lou So.

Victorious return to the club for Bastareaud

“The players have marked the history of the club, it’s historic”assured Toulon coach Pierre Mignoni after the match. “I am very happy for all the players. It’s deserved, it’s very very good (…) the players remained cold, calm. It was important not to panic”he added.

Ten years and a day after his first continental title – already in Dublin – in front of Clermont (16-15), Toulon therefore put the cover back, and allowed Mathieu Bastareaud, who entered during the game, to take advantage of his return to the club.

This figure of French rugby − winner of the Six Nations Tournament with the Blues by achieving the Grand Slam in 2010 − and idol of the harbor after his three European titles (2013, 2014, 2015) and a Brennus shield (2014) gleaned during from his first stint in Toulon between 2011 and 2019, returned to the RCT at the start of the season after suffering a serious injury to both knees in November 2021, while playing in the LOU jersey.

“I gritted my teeth for a year because I said I wanted to end up on my own two legs”he said Friday evening, referring to his serious injury. ” It’s done. I said that I wanted to at least win a title by returning to Toulon because I had not returned to the EHPAD and now I have the chance to win one last trophy before bowing out., he continued. Farewell to Mayol – May 28 against Union Bègles-Bordeaux, on the 26th and last day of the Top 14 – in addition to this victory in the Challenge Cup, should give him the most beautiful outing.