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Make no mistake, Toulon have what it takes to dethrone Toulouse in the Champions Cup this weekend.
Toulon are unbeaten at home this season and are playing some very, very serious rugby. The men from the Mediterranean took a while to get going against Saracens as they were rattled by their guests’ ferocious start, but once they jolted into life it was 59-7 between minute 35 and minute 80.
It’s been a similar story in the TOP14, where they currently sit 3rd, with an average home scoreline of 38-19 and 47 log points from a possible 50. Part of a new wave of slender, hyper fit teams who look to keep the ball alive, they often start games slowly as they give away size and power to their opponents. It pays off, however, when they score a massive 64% of their tries in the 2nd half.
They are a tall team, able to field a full XV of players over 6 foot tall (which is much rarer than you might think). They tackle 76% above the hips, which might help them to limit Toulouse’s devastating offload game. Their superpower is lineout steals, pilfering nearly ¼ of opponent throws. They are lead by their inspirational Englishman & captain David Ribbans, the standout lock not only at Toulon but in the whole TOP14. Super star wingers Juita Wainiqolo, Gabin Villiere and Gael Drean help them achieve the best 22 entry conversion in France at 39%.
Last season they beat Toulouse 20-19 in front of 60,000 fans at Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Meanwhile, Toulouse are not the same team without their petit general Antoine Dupont. It’s not just about missing his quality; their entire body language changes, they shrink an inch, and they look less fluid when he is not there. They will also be missing top try scorer Ange Capuozzo thanks to his ankle sprain against Sale.
Meanwhile, Toulon will call on the superlative Baptise Serin – the best 9 not playing test rugby – and Scotland’s rejuvenated Ben White. They will also likely field Melvyn Jaminet, who is at the heart of an ongoing investigation into Toulouse due to the details of his transfer to them from Perpignan way back in 2022.
Just another sub plot to what is undoubtedly the fixture of the round.
