There the final of the Top 14 French on Friday 28th June at 9pm in Marseille between Stade Toulosain and Union Beglès Bordeaux It is one of the biggest events in the world for club rugby. It’s worth a Champions Cup final (in fact Toulouse is the reigning European champion and is the team that has won the trophy the most times) and more than once the final of Premiership, URC or Super Rugby, given that the French championship today has no comparison in terms of concentration of talent, quality and economic resources. It’s the NBA of rugby, to make a comparison with basketball. We’ll see if the blue winger will also be on the pitch Ange Capuozzo among the ranks of the Toulousans (the lineups have not yet been announced). In the semi-final he was excluded, demonstrating the richness of the French clubs’ squads.
The two best attacks in Europe
Second Midy Olympique-RugbyRama it is a final «between the two best offensive arsenals in Europe». But it will not be “a war of clones, but rather a comparison of styles between the fast attack of the Girondists and the formidable Toulouse system”. The first one he has in his wing Damien Penaud the most dangerous arrow, the second is guided by Antoine Dupont, the best scrum half in the world, author, according to an analysis by the same weekly site, of 31 decisive passes in the season, i.e. direct assists or plays that allowed his teammates to score. Dupont is in the running for a fantastic poker in the season in which he gave up the national XV to dedicate himself to seven. He has already won the Champions Cup with Toulouse and the World Series with France at 7, after the French title on Friday with his club he will have his sights set on the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Toulouse are favourites
Toulouse are favorites in Friday’s final because they finished first in the regular season, have the highest quality squad and have won three of the last four French championships (only Montpellier from Paolo Garbisi in 2022). Union Bègles Bordeaux has never been French champions since the merger of the city’s clubs (2006). The Bouclier de Brennus, the French title, has been awarded since 1892 and going back in time two interesting facts are discovered.
Bordeaux has precedent on its side
Before the merger, UBB’s ancestors won 9 titles, 7 like Bordeaux and 2 like Bègles, plus 6 lost finals. The city and its clubs are therefore in fourth place for French championships won behind Toulouse (22 titles, 7 lost finals), Stade Francais (14 titles, 9 lost finals) e Beziers (11 titles, 4 lost finals). So Bordeaux it is a reality of great tradition. And the only two times he found himself in the final against Toulouse he always beat him. It happened when he was called Bègles in 1969 (victory 11-9) and in 1991 (victory 19-10).
There is no two without three, so Bordeaux, in addition to its attack, will be able to rely on cabal and tradition to subvert the prediction, coming out of the Velodrome stadium in Marseille with the “star shield”. Dupont and his companions will do everything to ensure this doesn’t happen.
