Toulouse edge out Bordeaux to secure third straight Top 14 crown
Top 14 final: Toulouse 38 Bordeaux Begles 33
Toulouse claimed their third consecutive Top 14 title and a record-extending 24th French championship by beating Bordeaux Begles 39-33 after extra-time in a dramatic final on Saturday.
Thomas Ramos kicked two penalties in the last five minutes for Toulouse after Bordeaux's Maxime Lucu had converted a penalty on the hooter to take the game into extra time at 33-33.
A try from Anthony Jelonch and a brace from Jack Willis put champions Toulouse in control of the match but Damian Penaud, Matthieu Jalibert and Guido Petti also crossed the tryline to keep Bordeaux in touch.
Petti and Pierre Bochaton were shown yellow cards and Toulouse, missing talisman Antoine Dupont, won their 11th consecutive final, a year after routing Bordeaux Begles 59-3 in the title match.
"Emotions are unbelievable. The scenario is crazy", Jelonch said on France TV. "We were exhausted after 80 minutes, we played 100. When you see all the players' emotions, this one is the most beautiful of all."
Bordeaux's Jalibert said he was proud of his side.
"We were strong but the coin didn't fall on our side", the fly-half said on France TV. "I think we can keep our heads up. I'm proud of the team because after last year's disappointment, we wanted to come back here."
After Toulouse and Bordeaux traded penalties, the holders capitalised on Petti's yellow card to score the opening try when Jelonch found a gap in the defence.
Bordeaux responded quickly, however, when Penaud latched on to Maxime Lucu's kick to touch down.
Willis restored Toulouse's lead with a powerful finish from a driving maul just before half-time and the English flanker crossed for a second try after Jalibert had dotted down under the posts for Bordeaux.
Lock Petti kept the game alive when he went over from a wide position for Bordeaux before Lucu sent the game into extra time.
France internationals Romain Ntamack and Louis Bielle-Biarrey did not reappear after half-time, the former due to a shoulder injury while the latter was playing his first match after suffering a concussion.
Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I believe it's close' – Sligo Rovers boss claims ‘talk in the background' for starlet Owen Elding to play for Ireland
JOHN RUSSELL believes Sligo Rovers hotshot Owen Elding should be an Ireland Under-21. The English-born 19-year-old is the son of Anthony Elding, who scored the dramatic late winner for 2 Owen Elding scored a stunning goal for Sligo Rovers against Bohemians Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 2 John Russell urged the FAI to tie him down for Ireland Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Young winger Elding netted a stunning goal to give The Bit O'Red were minutes from holding out for what would have been a third win in four games until James Clarke headed Bohs' equaliser in the 95th minute. Elding's worldie — his eighth strike of the season — was similar to a cracker he scored against champions Shelbourne at Tolka Park last month. And while manager Russell believes he is eligible to play for Read More on League of Ireland The Bit O'Red chief said: 'What a strike from Owen Elding. He's an incredible talent. And it's becoming a habit now. 'His technique is off the charts and he's been honing that for the last couple of years. 'He works hard, he stays after training and practises. And it's no coincidence that when the lights come on on a Friday, Saturday night, he's producing the goods. 'It's becoming a habit of him picking up the ball in those areas, driving forward and he's just setting himself up. An incredible goal.' Most read in Football While Elding extended his contract at Sligo until the end of the 2027 season in February, interest in him is rising. Russell said: 'I would have felt Owen had a big season ahead of him. Cork City fans watch League of Ireland clash against Dundalk in cinema 'And I spoke to the club and said, 'We need to tie him down'. And thankfully we have. 'There's no buyout clause or any of this stuff. 'So it's important as a club that we move forward and get proper fees for our talents if we are developing them. 'And I think whoever does eventually prise Owen away from the club, it'll be a hell of a fee. 'Obviously the window opens on July 1. There's a lot of clubs interested. 'I'm sure there was a lot there on Friday night. When a 19-year-old kid is doing what he's doing, there's always going to be bids coming in. 'So we'll just have to wait and see. 'He's a real talisman for a kid so young. And I love his mentality. 'As a manager, I don't want to be losing him. He's doing unbelievably this year. 'I think for his own development, having a full season is good for him. 'He's playing, he's confident, he's enjoying his football . 'It's all about playing now and for me he's got to be up for Young Player of the Year. 'I'd love to see him standing at the end of the season in Team of the Year, Young Player of the Year and getting the recognition for the talent that he has and also pulling us out of the position that we're in.' GREEN SHOOTS Russell insists Elding is eligible to play for Jim Crawford's Young Boys in Green, saying: 'Yes, he is.' But the boss does not know why he has not been approached. Russell said: 'That's a good question, which you should ask the FAI. 'I would have flagged this a while back. 'I think there is stuff going on in the background trying to get him nationalised. 'He has been in the country since he was 11 years of age. 'He was born in 'There is talk in the background and hopefully it can be resolved as he should be in that Under-21 squad. 'I think it's paperwork that the FAI have to organise. 'I'm led to believe it's close, so I think for everyone it would be good if it happened soon.'
The 42
7 hours ago
- The 42
Ramos kicks two dramatic extra-time penalties as Toulouse clinch French Top 14 title
FULL-BACK THOMAS Ramos kicked two dramatic penalties in extra-time as Toulouse edged Bordeaux-Begles 39-33 on Saturday to claim a record-extending 24th French Top 14 title. Ramos' ice-cold kicks consolidated Toulouse's place as the giants of French rugby and denied Bordeaux-Begles a domestic and continental double after lifting the Champions Cup last month. The 29-year-old slotted 24 points in total as Toulouse secured a third straight Top 14 triumph and an 11th consecutive final victory in all competitions. Lock Guido Petti and flanker Pierre Bochaton were shown yellow cards for Bordeaux-Begles before scrum-half Maxime Lucu slotted an 80th-minute penalty to send the game to extra-time. Lucu's kick capped an impressive comeback after they had trailed by 10 points with as many minutes to play at the Stade de France. On-fire winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey made his first appearance for Bordeaux-Begles since June 7 after recovering from concussion in Yannick Bru's only alteration from last Saturday's semi-final win over Toulon in Bayonne. Advertisement Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola made no changes from last Friday's victory over Bayonne with scrum-half Antoine Dupont still out with a serious knee injury. After a breathless opening quarter in almost 30 degrees Celsius, the sides were level at 6-6 as Lucu and Ramos traded penalties. It was a stark difference to last season's decider between the teams when Toulouse steamrolled to a 21-0 lead after just 24 minutes in Marseille, with the Stade de France unavailable due to the Paris Olympics. Petti was yellow carded after half an hour with Toulouse pressing Bordeaux-Begles' line. By half-time, both defences had been breached and Toulouse held a 20-16 advantage after No 8 Anthony Jelonch and flanker Jack Willis crossed either side of winger Damian Penaud's sublime effort for Bordeaux-Begles. Bru's hopes of winning a first Top 14 title for the club only founded in 2006 suffered a blow at the break as Bielle-Biarrey failed to return from the changing rooms, with Arthur Retiere taking his place. Despite Bielle-Biarrey's absence Bordeaux-Begles stayed in the game, as fly-half Matthieu Jalibert scored and Englishman Willis completed a double to make it 27-23 with half an hour to go. The frantic tempo continued going into a tense final 25 minutes as Ramos slotted his third penalty of the game, with Bochaton yellow carded for a high tackle. Ramos kicked another three points with Bochaton still in the bin as Mola's men took a stranglehold on the final. But Petti crossed before Lucu kicked a 40-metre penalty as the full-time gong rang around the stadium to send the match to 20 additional minutes. Ramos succeeded with the crucial extra-time penalties to send the Toulouse fans delirious. – © AFP 2025
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Toulouse edge out Bordeaux to secure third straight Top 14 crown
Top 14 final: Toulouse 38 Bordeaux Begles 33 Toulouse claimed their third consecutive Top 14 title and a record-extending 24th French championship by beating Bordeaux Begles 39-33 after extra-time in a dramatic final on Saturday. Thomas Ramos kicked two penalties in the last five minutes for Toulouse after Bordeaux's Maxime Lucu had converted a penalty on the hooter to take the game into extra time at 33-33. A try from Anthony Jelonch and a brace from Jack Willis put champions Toulouse in control of the match but Damian Penaud, Matthieu Jalibert and Guido Petti also crossed the tryline to keep Bordeaux in touch. Petti and Pierre Bochaton were shown yellow cards and Toulouse, missing talisman Antoine Dupont, won their 11th consecutive final, a year after routing Bordeaux Begles 59-3 in the title match. "Emotions are unbelievable. The scenario is crazy", Jelonch said on France TV. "We were exhausted after 80 minutes, we played 100. When you see all the players' emotions, this one is the most beautiful of all." Bordeaux's Jalibert said he was proud of his side. "We were strong but the coin didn't fall on our side", the fly-half said on France TV. "I think we can keep our heads up. I'm proud of the team because after last year's disappointment, we wanted to come back here." After Toulouse and Bordeaux traded penalties, the holders capitalised on Petti's yellow card to score the opening try when Jelonch found a gap in the defence. Bordeaux responded quickly, however, when Penaud latched on to Maxime Lucu's kick to touch down. Willis restored Toulouse's lead with a powerful finish from a driving maul just before half-time and the English flanker crossed for a second try after Jalibert had dotted down under the posts for Bordeaux. Lock Petti kept the game alive when he went over from a wide position for Bordeaux before Lucu sent the game into extra time. France internationals Romain Ntamack and Louis Bielle-Biarrey did not reappear after half-time, the former due to a shoulder injury while the latter was playing his first match after suffering a concussion. Reuters
