Champions Cup: RC Toulon, no more end-of-year gifts

The European history of Toulon is closely linked to Munster. In 2011, the club, then chaired by Mourad Boudjellal, achieved the first major feat in its history in the competition by bringing down the sacred Irish province in 2006 and 2008, in an incandescent Mayol stadium (32-16). Taking a nice revenge after the scathing 45-18 they received in the first leg in Ireland. The pre-match was lively between the two teams, with international second row Doncha O'Callaghan describing the Varois as "mercenaries".

Boudjellal was not asking for much to say that Munster - whose main sponsor is Bank of Ireland - was "a team financed by the IMF", the international body having come to the aid of the bank at the time of the crisis financial. The Var president had even put it back in the columns of Le Figaro, asserting: “The big question is whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn (president of the IMF at the time) will come and see his employees. We kept two places, just in case…”

Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridges. The RCT became the only club to achieve a hat-trick in the competition (between 2013 and 2015), before falling into line. Munster, for their part, failed to win any further continental crowns, with Irish supremacy falling to rivals Leinster who claimed four titles. The two teams nevertheless met again in the final phase: the Varois, on their way to the European double, had dominated the Irish in 2014 at the Vélodrome in the semi-final (24-16), before losing narrowly (20 -19) at Thomond Park in the quarter-final of the 2018 edition. And this fifth confrontation promises to be crucial since neither team has yet won this year after the first two days.

The Rugby Club Toulonnais in fact received two lessons in English realism by first losing at Mayol against Exeter (18-19) before falling by nothing at Northampton (22-19). “We lost both matches at the end and it’s terrible. We lose the first at the last second and the other at the last minute. It’s difficult,” regretted manager Pierre Mignoni on RMC. There is no question of drawing a line under this competition and focusing only on the Top 14, where the club is 5th. “We still believe in it because we took two bonuses and if we were to win on Saturday against Munster, we can get back to qualifying. So we are going to play the match to the fullest, it’s not over,” insists the Var technician.

Opposite, the Irish - currently tenth in the United Rugby Championship (four wins, one draw, four defeats) which they won last year - are not at best, either, in the Champions Cup. They first conceded a draw at Thomond Park that looked like a defeat against Aviron Bayonnais (17-17) before losing on the lawn of Exeter (32-24). So be wary. On the other hand, the Varois need to regain confidence and efficiency. After a flawless month of November (four wins in a row), they have since suffered four defeats in five matches in all competitions.

In the Champions Cup, this excitement is paid for in cash. And time is running out. Pierre Mignoni recognizes that his team “lacks collective maturity and that was seen in these European Cup matches. The level is different and we see the collective dynamic, the collective experience. We are lacking but we are not far from winning these two matches. The latest setback, conceded last Sunday on the lawn of the red lantern Montpellier, greatly annoyed the strong man of the RCT. “We were absent from the debates. Don't insist, I'll stay calm... We don't dominate anything at all. We are absent from the debates for forty minutes, almost in all sectors.”

And he asserts: “Rugby is first and foremost a combat sport, especially against a team that is playing for its survival. As soon as the referee whistles for kick-off, you have to be there. But we weren’t there.” This Saturday in Mayol, Toulon and Munster are playing for their survival in the competition. Any absence will be severely punished.