Antoine Dupont irrepressible once again as Toulouse begin Champions Cup defence with Ulster rout
Antoine Dupont in action for Toulouse in 2024.
Toulouse got their Investec Champions Cup title defence off to a perfect start with an emphatic 61-21 win over a much-rotated Ulster side.
The reigning champions notched an impressive nine tries on the way to victory, but the story of the game, once again, was the inspirational performance of scrum-half Antoine Dupont, with the French captain at the heartbeat of his side’s impressive win.
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Toulouse raced out of the blocks in the first-half, scoring a sensational try just one minute into the game. A break from star scrum-half Antoine Dupont – who was recently crowned World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year – got the title-holders in behind the Ulster defence, and quick-hands found the ball in Matthis Lebel’s hands, who finished superbly in the corner despite the challenges of three defenders.
Just minutes later, a string of Ulster infringements marched Les Rouge et Noir to within touching distance of the Ulster line, and eventually over the whitewash. A delicate delayed pass from Dupont found half-back partner Romain Ntamack with the line at his mercy, and he made no mistake with the finish.
The visitors needed a response if they stood any chance of staying in touch with the defending champions, and they got exactly that through James McCormack. After a clever penalty move, and some strong pick-and-goes, the hooker burrowed his way over the line for the try.
Ulster’s joy was swiftly evaporated though, as Emmanuel Meafou crossed just two minutes later.
If the floodgates weren’t open already, Toulouse asserted their dominance with a quick-fire double. Moments after Ntamack had his second effort of the day chalked off, Ange Capuozzo added his name to the scoresheet after a stellar Toulouse set-play. Mere minutes later, Dupont finally got a deserved try as he wriggled his way through a gap to score from short range.
Ulster, to their credit, still put up a strong fight, and got a second score as a result. A lovely floated pass from Aidan Morgan found Stewart Moore in space with only the tryline in front of him, and he waltzed under the sticks.
The visitors’ celebrations were once again short-lived though, as Meafou notched his second try of the game to give Toulouse a mammoth lead going into the sheds.
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Just like the first-half, Toulouse began the second 40 the stronger, and they made their dominance count as Los Pumas centre Santiago Chocobares crossed for his side’s seventh of the evening as he finished yet another brilliant backs’ move.
As the old saying goes ‘when it rains, it pours’, and it was certainly pouring for Toulouse tonight as Capuozzo notched his second score of the evening just minutes after. After some strong work from the pack got the hosts to within touching distance of the Ulster line, a perfectly weighted cross-field kick from Dupont found the Italian international in space over the try line, and he gleefully dotted the ball down for his side’s eighth.
With the result almost a certainty, the game began to open up, and that allowed the visitors to end the one-way traffic with a try of their own. A string of penalties allowed Ulster to set up shop in Toulouse’s five-metre line, and Ireland international Iain Henderson was the lucky recipient as he crossed over after a cute offload from Tom O’Toole.
Richie Murphy’s bench did begin to change the tide a touch, and they began their first real period of sustained pressure, but just as they looked like scoring Julien Marchand came up with a pivotal turnover.
Their fightback wasn’t done though, however, another turnover in the breakdown denied them another good chance.
This, in turn, teleported Toulouse into enemy territory, but in a reverse of the earlier phases Marcus Rea came up with a turnover to deny them just as they looked like scoring.
With the clock in the red, the icing was added on with a penalty try, ending a perfect start to the Champions Cup for the reigning champions.
