After having in turn martyred Cardiff (52-7), Harlequins (47-19) and Ulster (48-24), with seven tries in each match, Stade Toulousain produced a slightly messier copy against Bath.
Heckled by the 3rd in the English championship, who came with intentions, he was hooked until the end and this fourth try, a bonus, scored by Argentine winger Juan Cruz Mallia after a superb jump pass from his opener Thomas Ramos (68th).
However, the Rouge et Noir got off to a perfect start, with two good tries in the first ten minutes. The first by Emmanuel Meafou, at the conclusion of a large-scale collective action (6th); the second thanks to a first beautiful gesture from Ramos, a great football fan, author of a “big bridge” over the last English defender (9th).
We then thought Toulouse was heading towards a new European adventure, but its difficulties on the lineout, its indiscipline and its few defensive generosity left Finn Russell’s teammates in the match.
The score of parity at the break (19-19), with three tries on each side and a shared refusal to attempt penalties, held for a long time in the second act. Until Mallia’s try then a fifth and final one from Ramos (77th), in international form before the Tournament despite an unusual lack of success against the posts (2 out of 5).
