‘Pretty embarrassing’ – Toulouse were man-to-man better than Leinster according to Champions Cup stats XV
Leinster players have all been snubbed in the Champions Cup Team of the Week.
Toulouse’s players completely outplayed their Leinster counterparts in the Investec Champions Cup final, according to a stats-based XV.
The French giants claimed a 22-31 victory over the Irish province after extra time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Following the epic final, the official Champions Cup social media account has posted the Team of the Week based on statistics provided by Oval Insights.
Toulouse dominate
Despite a tightly-fought encounter, the entire XV consists of Toulouse players, with not a single Leinster star cracking the fifteen.
The starting pack of Cyril Baille, Peato Mauvaka, Dorian Aldegheri, Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou, Jack Willis, Francois Cros and Alexandre Roumat all racked up better statistical numbers than the Leinster forwards.
This is despite the Leinster pack getting the upper hand at scrum time.
Meanwhile, the only backline player who didn’t start the match for Toulouse, who cracks the stats-based XV, is centre Santiago Chocobares, who replaced Pita Ahki early in the first half.
Other than that, all the Toulouse backs made the team ahead of their Leinster counterparts, with Player of the Match Antoine Dupont joined by Romain Ntamack, Paul Costes, Juan Cruz Mallia, Matthis Lebel and Blair Kinghorn.
Antoine Dupont takes his insane trophy haul to 24 awards
Official data-based @Heineken Team of the Week from Oval Insights 📈
It’s a @StadeToulousain clean sweep from the #InvestecChampionsCup Final on Saturday, do you agree with the data? 👀 pic.twitter.com/AmFq30CrLa
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 29, 2024
Reaction
Understandably, there has been a significant reaction to the Champions Cup post revealing the team of the final.
“When you think about it. This is absolutely phenomenal from the 15 selected. All statistically better than their Leinster counterparts. Still an incredible final but this is incredible,” Jack Fogarty said in reaction to the team.
Bernard Jackman: Jack Willis ‘proved’ Test match credentials, the RFU should ‘make an exception’
There were also others who found it humorous as they revelled in Leinster fans’ dismay at their star players being snubbed.
“That’s hilarious. Data-wise, every single Toulouse player was better than their Leinster counterpart last weekend,” one reply read.
Many added that the team was “rubbing salt into the wounds” while one fan said: “This has to be a wind-up – and such a good one!!”
Another reacted, writing: “Wow, this is a real insult to the guys who emptied themselves on that pitch.”
Irish journalist Rúaidhrí O’Connor said that the team “is patently ridiculous and pretty embarrassing.”
Finally, Graham Love added: “Ngl was expecting it to be 15 Antoine Duponts. But I guess this is fairer.”
