Preview: Stade Toulousain v Stade Français
There is no rivalry in French rugby like the one between the two 'Stades.' The 'old enemies' are no strangers to each other and there should be little to pick between them in Bordeaux on Sunday.
There is no rivalry in French rugby like the one between the two 'Stades.' The 'old enemies' are no strangers to each other and there should be little to pick between them In Bordeaux on Sunday.
As the defending champions, Stade Français travel to Bordeaux on the back of a less-than-brilliant season.
They might have finished third but have lagged far behind Clermont and Toulouse, eventually finishing sixteen points off the pace. Their 9-6 loss just over a month ago to championship tail-enders Auch, a week after going down to Brive, served as a wake-up call to the sleeping giants.
A convincing 44-15 win at home over Castres three weeks ago showed what they are capable of, but a stumbling performance against Biarritz a week later was symptomatic of an irregular season.
Toulouse will draw motivation form their narrow loss to Munster in the European Cup final as they try to salvage something from their season.
“The disappointment against Munster has gone,” said Toulouse's former All Blacks scrum-half Byron Kelleher who is aiming to become the third Kiwi to win the French championship after Gary Whetton (with Castres in 1993) and Lee Stensness (with Toulouse in 2000).
“My dream when I left New Zealand was to become champion of Europe and champion of France. One of those two dreams is still doable and I'm counting on achieving it.”
Toulouse might have cracked the 50-point barrier five times this season but the encounter is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair. Despite their reputation for flamboyant rugby, Toulouse have not scored a try in their last two semi-final appearances. In fact the average for tries in all Top 14 play-offs is one per match.
Significantly, Toulouse have beaten Stade Français just once in their last five meetings, although that victory came the last time the teams met at full-strength (28-9 in Toulouse last November).
Since 1985 Toulouse have played in a record 19 semi-finals, this being their 15th consecutive appearance. Stade Français though, have the better record in semi-finals disputed between the sides. In fact they have met a total of four times in the semis, with the Parisians hold a 3-1 advantage.
History doesn't bode well for Toulouse either: since the inception of play-offs at neutral grounds in 2005, the club who finished third on the table has gotten the better of their rivals two out of three times.
Two years ago Toulouse edged to a 12-9 win. One season earlier Stade were 23-18 winners in Bordeaux, taking revenge for their European Cup Final loss in Edinburgh two weeks earlier (12-18).
“Toulouse have had a better season than us. Last year it was the opposite. They have had a remarkable season and are maybe favourites,” said Stade's veteran winger Christophe Dominici.
Stade coach Fabien Galthie, who will be replaced by Ewen McKenzie at the end of the month after four years at the helm, named prop Sylvain Marconnet as captain for semi-final.
“He's come back from a dark hole. He stayed there a long time. And a player who comes back from that comes back stronger,” said Galthie, who broke down into tears at the pre-match press conference when speaking of his upcoming departure.
True to form, Toulouse coach Guy Novès and Parisian president Max Guazzini have been at it in the press. Novès said that Stade Français “chose” to play Toulouse in the final by not giving their best against Perpignan last week. Guazzini replied, accusing Toulouse of purposefully starting controversies to serve as source of motivation against Stade Français.
Both teams have been away on 'stage', with Toulouse camped in Capbreton and covered with their usual shroud of secrecy while Stade Français have been behind close doors in Chantilly.
Stade Français lock Pascal Papé injured his knee during the week and will be sidelined for seven months, a cruel blow for the team since Toulouse have a formidable line-out headed up by the wily old Fabien Pelous. Good news for Stade Français however is the return to the squad of Julien Saubade, the Parisian's top try scorer this season with seven touch-downs, and Argentinian full-back Ignacio Corleto.
Toulouse's injuries are far more significant as the squad's struggled to cope with multiple fronts has been well documented. Yannick Jauzion had a scare on Tuesday, sitting out training due to neck pain and William Servat, Thierry Dusautoir and Cédric Heymans are uncertain starters.
It could be the last match for front rower Omar Hasan who is set to retire at the end of the season.
A novelty for spectators in Bordeaux will be free headphones with which they can listen to the referee.
Players to watch:
For Toulouse: Maxime Médard, who has scored 12 tries for Toulouse this season, should have far too much pace on the wing for the ageing Christophe Dominici. Centre Florian Fritz's return to form after injury could give the champions a real headache in midfield.
For Stade Français: After a long suspension Mauro Bergamasco will be raring to go, look out for him tearing around the sides of the rucks. He will be joined by fellow Italian Sergio Parisse, one of the best number eights in the world at the moment.
Head to head: The crunch will come in the battle of the fly-halves. Jean Baptiste Elissalde is a class player, but not a specialist number ten while his opposite number, Juan Martin Hernandez, is arguably the best player in the Top 14. How well the French international deals with 'El Mago' could be crucial to the outcome.
Prediction: Toulouse have been hard hit by injuries but still have the firepower to line-up an awesome team. It's no mistake they made it to the Heineken Cup Final and when they are in full flight, they are simply irresistible. Stade Français have come up with the points against smaller clubs all season but on far too many occasions have flattered to deceive. One can't help but feel that if Toulouse hit fifth gear, the defending champions will be found wanting. Toulouse to win by six points.
Previous semi-finals:
Toulouse 12 Р9 Stade Fran̤ais (2006)
Toulouse 18 -23Stade Français (2005)
Toulouse 13 -30 Stade Français (2000)
Toulouse 3 Р39 Stade Fran̤ais (1998)
Stade Français squad:
Forwards: Mathieu Blin, Dimitri Szarzewski, David Attoub, Rodrigo Roncero, Franck Montanella, Sylvain Marconnet (captain), Arnaud Marchois, Boela du Plooy, Cliffie Milton, Pierre Rabadan, Mauro Bergamasco, Rémy Martin, Antoine Burban, Simon Taylor, Sergio Parisse,
Backs: Jérôme Fillol, Alexandre Albouy, Juan MartÃn Hernández, Lionel Beauxis, Guillaume Bousses, Stéphane Glas, Mirco Bergamasco, Christophe Dominici, Julien Saubade, Ignacio Corleto
Stade Toulousain: tbc
Date: Sunday, June 22
Venue: Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux
Kick-off: 15:00 (13:00 GMT)