L’Équipe
Yesterday morning’s version of the French sports daily newspaper featured a front page reference to Munster’s win on Saturday with the simple headline of ‘Toulouse crushed’, while there was mention of Clermont’s victory over Leicester too.
On page 12, journalist Laurent Campistron dissects the game under the title ‘Toulouse, will they recover?’ Campistron suggests that the humbling at Thomond Park may be bad news for the club’s future opponents in the Top 14, before outlining how Toulouse gave Munster far too many try-scoring chances.
‘Take it, it’s a gift!’ reads the headline of the secondary article, criticising the “laughable” quick 22 drop-off attempt by Lionel Beauxis, among other incidents. There is praise for Munster, with Campistron highlighting the province’s “devastating maul, aggressive defence and dazzling counter-attack.”
This morning’s edition of L’Équipe deals with Toulon’s clash against Leinster, with the front page teaser declaring that the home team were ‘Irresistible!’ Having dealt with the weekend’s football action, as well as the cycling and tennis, attention turns to the rugby on page 15.
The headline over the match report reads ‘It’s even better the second time’, in reference to the fact that yesterday was Toulon’s second home quarter-final in the Heineken Cup, having beaten Leicester 21-15 at Stade Mayol last season.
Maxime Malet’s article understandably has heavy praise for Steffon Armitage, who “repelled the Irish armada, notable on the deck.” Elsewhere, loosehead prop Xavier Chiocci is awarded L’Équipe‘s ‘player of the weekend’ for his efforts at scrum time and around the pitch.
Midi Olympique
The front page of this morning’s Midi Olympique leads with a photo of Mathieu Bastareaud beating Brian O’Driscoll under the headline ‘As champions!’ The byline on the same page says “Bastareaud’s Toulon imposed their law on O’Driscoll’s Leinster”.
The in-depth coverage of the game begins on page six, with Pierre-Laurent Gou writing that “at the end of a masterful match that was well finished, RCT outclassed Leinster” under the large headline ‘Lust for life’.
Jérôme Prevot suggests that Matt Giteau’s move into the out-half position after Jonny Wilkinson went off injured “transformed Toulon’s play”, while there is further praise for man of the match Armitage and Chiocci on the next page.
Moving to the Munster victory, Grégory Letort writes that Toulouse “confronted their limits” in Limerick, notably their set-piece and defence, before going on say that it was a “day in hell” for the visiting team.
The positive words for Munster centre around their work at the breakdown, where they are “magnificent”, but there are also several mentions for the power of the Irish side’s maul. Winger Yoann Huget admitted post-match that Toulouse has been taught “a lesson for the future.”
Poor old Ulster don’t get much coverage, apart from Jérôme Fredon highlighting that Mark Anscombe’s men gave “a performance full of solidarity and courage” in contrast to Saracens’ “nervous and febrile” showing.
Rugbyrama
The most read piece on the popular rugby website today is a short post-match interview with Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal under the headline ‘Boudjellal: We are still champions of Europe!’
The comic book magnate outlines that he had “worries” about referee Wayne Barnes before the clash with Leinster “because he had officiated at the Amlin Challenge Cup final we lost against Biarritz [in 2012].”
Boudjellal expresses his pleasure that the English referee was “impartial” at Stade Mayol, strange and probably unnecessary comments.
Another article, by Clément Mazella, outlines the argument that “Toulon are favourites to retain their title” following the powerful win over Leinster, given that they were “enormous in defence, while accelerating again and again in attack to leave the Irish rocked.”
Turning to Munster’s victory, Mazella says Toulouse were given “a lesson in mauling” by Munster’s “iron pack.” Rob Penney’s men have “evolved on a different planet” to the Toulouse forwards in terms of mauling, rendering their defence ineffective.
There is praise for CJ Stander, who “compensated [for the loss of O'Mahony] with brilliance, logically being picked as man of the match.” The second row pairing of O’Connell and Dave Foley were “powerful at the maul and perfect at the set-piece”, while Conor Murray “galvanized their attacking play”.
Thomas Perotto says Munster were “untouchable” at Thomond Park, starting with the “never-ending and magnificent passage of play” that led to Keith Earls’ opener, before the half time break “sounded the death knell of any return to grace for Toulouse [followed as it was by two Munster tries]“.
