Ronan O’Gara made no secret of it: after the historic Champions Cup double against Leinster, his team was the favorite in this Top 14 final. Alas! The Maritimes have tripped over the carpet. Within two minutes they were there, about to raise their first shield of Brennus. But Romain Ntamack and his tempered steel mind decided otherwise. Cruel outcome for the caravel club which, as expected, had been impressive in brute force in front. “Congratulations to Romain Ntamack for having the ability to score a try like that. What an athlete, what a player! It was an exceptional test and with a test like that, you deserve to win”, first recognized the Irish manager of Stade Rochelais.
Before launching several spades, rather unwelcome, in the direction of Toulouse. According to him, bad loser, it was his team who shot themselves in the foot, rather than the Red and Black who won. “We were down 13-3 and had the ability to go 20-13, but then we conceded three penalties which for me cost us the game,” he said. Before letting go, bitter: “If we had won, it would not have been stolen and the opponent could not have disputed our victory. It’s going to be hard now, because we’re going to have the big Toulouse stadium which will explain rugby to everyone and we’re not capable of winning a final. Unfortunately, this is the story that we have to accept, but when we watch the game, it’s not the truth…”
However, the failure of the Maritimes can easily be explained by several failings. The pair of La Rochelle centers was first transparent at the Stade de France. Jonathan Danty, guilty of a forward on Santiago Chocobares’ first try, completely missed his match. Never – or very rarely – did he show his power in midfield. Alongside him, UJ Seuteni was also inside, failing to provide the small spark that is expected of him in attack. Worse, his responsibility is engaged on Ntamack’s winning try: his kamikaze defensive climb opens up a huge space for the Toulouse opener who only has to put on the gas to go score. “We were good during, what? 78th minute? Then we lack connection in defense”, enrages hooker Pierre Bourgarit, at the forefront of the fierce fight.
At the time of the final count, the two penalties missed by Antoine Hastoy at the start of the match (on his first three attempts) then his missed drop against the posts, also cost a lot of money. The foot of the former Pau, yet author of a remarkable season in his new colors, trembled at the worst time, when his team could have taken the lead and not raced behind during the first act. “There were finals where we turned things around at the last moment. Unfortunately, the Toulousains went for this victory but we also lost on our own, deplores the back Brice Dulin. From my point of view, it is an accumulation of small faults at the end of the match that allows them to win.
Still, La Rochelle has once again fallen against its nemesis, victorious in 10 of their last 11 confrontations. Two years ago, after La Rochelle’s two defeats in the Champions Cup and then the Top 14 finals, Grégory Alldritt admitted that seeing Toulouse lift trophies at his expense had haunted him for a long time. The number 8 of the Blues repeated it on Saturday evening: “It’s very hard, but it’s important to watch them (raise the shield of Brennus, editor’s note), to anchor it in the memory, it has to be serve for later. As I said in the locker room, it’s far from the end of a cycle.
Founded in 1898, Stade Rochelais has become, in recent seasons, one of the biggest teams in French rugby. Regular in the endgame, with a strong game identity and a plethora of world-class players. Present in the final (5 in 3 years) despite a complicated start this year, with in particular three losses to Marcel-Deflandre. “It’s hard to lose this final this way, but we won two titles this way (in the Champions Cup final against Leinster), you also have to know how to be on the other side. We can find all the excuses in the world, but that’s a loser’s mentality, ”says Grégory Alldritt, great player, great lord.
Ronan O’Gara, with his whole and divisive character, wishes to salute his “super group. I am disappointed but very proud. Everyone will still say: it’s another defeat against Toulouse. But when you look a little deeper, it’s not the real story. That’s what I’ll keep in mind. This frustration, I will have it with me for next season. Place now at the World Cup, with Toulouse and Rochelais who will constitute the bulk of the troops in the France team.
“It’s going to be the holidays, the World Cup, we’re going to see some great rugby. And we will come back with a better plan, insists the Irish technician. We were not far from a perfect season, unfortunately, it ended in a huge disappointment. That’s life, that’s the high level. I am proud of my players. We had a good season but when we are killers, we cannot leave things behind. But I cannot have negative words towards my players. I am too connected with them. It’s a great void not to have the Shield on the Port. But we can cry all evening, it does not change anything.
