TOULON BEAT CLERMONT 24-18 in the Champions Cup final at Twickenham this afternoon.
Three in a row
It’s a remarkable achievement in any sport. Toulon secured their third top-tier European trophy in a row, adding a first Champions Cup to two Heineken Cups in the last two years.
Toulon lift the first-ever Champions Cup. Source: James Crombie/INPHO
Mourad Boudjellal has sunk his heart into the club and recruited intelligently, bringing in proven winners who make a difference in the big games. That exact attribute stood out clearly in Twickenham as Toulon showed composure and incision at exactly the right moments.
With the likes of Samu Manoa, Quade Cooper, Ma’a Nonu, Salesi Ma’afu, and Napolioni Nalaga already confirmed as signings for next season, it’s likely that Toulon’s strength will only grow.
Ali Williams and Bakkies Botha are retiring, while Chris Masoe is expected to join Racing Métro in the summer, but Boudjellal will already be thinking of title number four next season.
The nearly men
As ever, Clermont have been thrilling to watch all season and again in this final they contributed some beautiful rugby. They attempted to bring their pace and daring to this encounter, but Toulon put on a major squeeze for the majority of the second half.
A strong start gave Clermont hope. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
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Clermont have now lost two finals and two semi-finals in Europe in the last four seasons and the old failings in terms of decision-making and execution under pressure were apparent intermittently in London.
Missed tackles, poor options in their kicking game at vital moments in the game and some disciplinary shortcomings in the first half all contributed. While Toulon seemed to grow in steel as the final whistle approached, Clermont appeared increasingly panicked.
Mitchell’s finish
In terms of big players producing big moments, we need look no further than Drew Mitchell’s excellent second-half try that went some way towards clinching the game for Toulon.
Mitchell finishes his superb try. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
The 31-year-old earned his handsome salary in one powerful attacking thrust, beating no less than six defenders on his way to the tryline. The tackling was undeniably poor, but Mitchell’s dynamism and balance made it so.
In a similar vein, Ali Williams delivered his best performance of the season on the momentous occasion, while the likes of Steffon Armitage and Mathieu Bastareaud provided class.