Elite 1 Women: big victory for Toulouse

Stade Ernest-Wallon, where the Stade Toulousain Top 14 team plays, took control of ST Elite 1 Féminines on Sunday thanks to its improved success (35-07).

After long months of waiting, the girls of Elite 1 found their way back to the pitch for a friendly match against Blagnac Rugby Féminin.

The derby gave the taste of revenge before the resumption of the championship, Sunday February 7, for a Women’s version of the Classico which also promises to be spectacular, and ending with a victory for Toulouse (F) 35-7 .

Number 1 in its group and number 2 nationally just behind Montpellier, Stade Toulousain comes out a little bigger after a catch-up session that did not really speak its name because its performance was so convincing yesterday afternoon.

Indeed, in addition to the « vertical » classification, that which will be qualified as « transverse » will of course be taken into account when dividing the eight qualified for the second phase into two pools of four.

From there to consider that the Capitol becomes the seat of the capital of women’s rugby, in a few months (…), of a catch-up session on a tank full to the brim, such is the enlarged group in which the staff can raking (…), of course!

Stade Français, a direct opponent, from the capital, on the lawn of Ernest – Wallon, another, even more formidable to somehow anticipate at a good distance the enhanced victory of Stade Toulousain, before visiting him on the 21st February: Rennes in this case.

At home, Stade Toulousain Rugby (2nd in pool 2, 19 points) wanted to confirm the good arrangements made since the start of the season (4 games, 4 wins, including 3 improved) and take the first place in the pool at Rennes ( 20 points, with one more game).

A tank full to the brim, such is the larger group in which the match can necessarily rake!

The match was balanced, but very quickly, the Toulouse scrum got the better of its counterpart, obtaining a penalty in the forty meters that the opening half Cabalou had no difficulty in converting (3-0, 6th).

The Parisian defense thwarted the opposing offensives, putting maximum pressure on the ball carrier. The reds and blacks found their first breach when hooker Deschamps found the key to the “Pink Rockets” defense and escaped for more than 20 meters before being caught a stone’s throw from the line.

The action rebounded on the left side but a poor transmission between full-back Vandesteene and her winger Cartaillac caused her to fail (12th). Toulouse’s domination in closed scrum intensified, allowing Lecat to allow themselves a five-meter start, but the Parisians stood up.

On the other hand, they could not do anything when, a few moments later, Bordes served Rière on a second playing time. The pillar made his power speak and scored the first try of his.
(8 – 0, 18th).

The third line took the gap before serving his winger Murie who, although caught by his vis-à-vis, managed to serve Fedrighi inside, allowing the second line to score the second Toulouse try (13 – 0, 20th) .

But the pink and blue suffered a terrible blow to the 30th, the Diaw seriously injured in the elbow the pillar had to leave her comrades, (she was taken a little later to the hospital), in the evening to undergo a l ‘interventon and enter Paris. She was replaced by Sade, whose entry in no way solved the Parisian melee problems.

On another big push from Toulouse, the ball was confiscated: Bordes was playing small side with Vandesteene. The latter negotiated perfectly the two against one to serve his winger Cartaillac, who accelerated and overwhelmed the scrum half Saluzzo to go, after forty meters of race, to point in goal (18-0, 36th). The offensive bonus was already in his pocket.

The Parisian defense Caspar intercepted the leather and left, after a long 70-meter race, to restore hope to his team. Julien transformed (18 – 7, 38th). Stade Français no doubt hoped to reach the break on this gap, but the Toulousaines did not understand it so: on a new quick exit in the closed side, Murie, well served on her wing by Vandesteene, maneuvered her vis-à-vis and was going to register the fourth attempt of his (23 – 7, 40th + 1). That was the score at the break.

The fifth attempt in Toulouse was the work of Bordes who, following a start behind a new dominating scrum, slipped between two defenders and hit the mark (28 – 7, 47th).

At the end of the right wing, the winger took up space and scored the sixth try of his formation after a thirty-meter run. Cherry on the cake, Girard succeeded in the transformation (35 – 7, 80th + 2). That was the final score.

It will now be a matter of finishing the season well and making the playdowns a success. On the Toulouse side, all the lights were on: the melee was largely dominant, allowing Anthony Granja and Pascal Belaubre’s group to patiently put their game in place, alternating close and wide.

Anthony Granja, head coach of Stade Toulousain: « In a delicate context, the players remain close and I can only congratulate them for their involvement. The intentions were there, we watched a good game. »

Ranking Elite 1 Female Pool 2 – Season 2020-2021

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Gabriel MIHAI

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