Top14 Final 2013: Toulon vs Castres, Sat 1 June 8pm; SetantaIRL / TV5Monde

Buer

Unbelievable. Wonderful result for the T14. Feel bad for JW but it underlines how hard it is to win the double.

Armitage with a great try at the end. If he was still in England and not a liability, he'd be on the Lions tour.

ScrubsfanChris

Toulon get a try at the end, but it doesn't matter.

Finals score 19 - 14

pickarooney

Senseless involving the video ref at that stage

vienne86

Consolation try for Toulon, but too late. Fabulous from Castres - delighted for them. Fabulous finish.

Swan Curry

Allez Castres!

OldRio

Well done Castres.

It shows how hard the double is.

vienne86

I'm amazed, but yes, the double seems virtually impossible.

Judgement Day

Typical, was going to have a punt on Armitage for a try and instead went for more than 17.5 in first half. Why did Toulon have to leave it so late to get their handling going - as for their lineout and scrum.....

ScrubsfanChris

Looking back, Wilko missed 3 penalties and 1 conversion :eek:
When's the last time that happened?

Taking nothing away from Castres, they wanted it a whole lot more tonight.

A-Train

Great stuff from Castres, delighted for them.

Winters

Great result by Castres. Am I right in saying only Leicester have done the double?

ScrubsfanChris

Winters wrote: »

Great result by Castres. Am I right in saying only Leicester have done the double?

They mentioned Toulouse did the double back in 1996

Buer

Winters wrote: »

Great result by Castres. Am I right in saying only Leicester have done the double?

Toulouse 1996.

TheGoldenAges

Leinster did the double :pac:

PJ Maybe

He's a great player but the Bastareaud penalty leading to the first Castres drop goal was a key point. It was needless and moved the lineout half way up the pitch giving Castres the momentum back. Such small decisions make the game.

Congrats to Castres on the win.

totallegend

Delighted for Castres, when Tales didn't get over for that try, I thought Toulon would turn the screw and get the win but Castres were absolutely the better team on the night.

I think Bernard Laporte has a case to answer here. This was their third titanic match in three weeks and they played essentially the same XV in all three so there had to be an element of fatigue in there. Meanwhile guys like Mermoz, Elsom, David Smith and van Niekerk were sitting around waiting to be used and Gethin Jenkins was surplus to requirements completely.

tolosenc

YESSSSS!!!!

Hagz

Winters wrote: »

Great result by Castres. Am I right in saying only Leicester have done the double?

Toulouse did the double in 1996

Leicester have done the double twice in 2001 and 2002

Wasps did the double in 2004

thomond2006

Just watched the game now. I'm delighted for Castres since they will struggle to make it next year without their coaches and Rory Kockott. If Kockott is going to Toulouse as suggested, then Toulouse have signed a class player.

Fernandez Lobbe awesome as usual, if he had more pace he could have been a fullback with those aerial skills. Watch out for Castres' Brice Dulin in the tests against New Zealand, he would have played in the Six Nations but for injury.

For all his detractors, Dirty Delon has been on fire lately. That's three tries in three games, he played very well today in general.

I think Bernard Laporte has a case to answer here. This was their third titanic match in three weeks and they played essentially the same XV in all three so there had to be an element of fatigue in there. Meanwhile guys like Mermoz, Elsom, David Smith and van Niekerk were sitting around waiting to be used and Gethin Jenkins was surplus to requirements completely.

It's a good point, perhaps they should have rotated their squad more. Guy Noves believed it was near impossible to win both the Heineken and Top14 titles in the same season (hence why he threw away the Amlin).

Buer

thomond2006 wrote: »

For all his detractors, Dirty Delon has been on fire lately. That's three tries in three games, he played very well today in general.

He's a reprehensible individual but he's a wonderful rugby player. He's absolutely made for a Lions tour if wasn't so divisive. He can play 15, 13 and wing and he is a solid goal kicker. Aside from the versatility, he's strong, elusive and picks great lines.

Ardillaun

Drop goals still matter. Given how effective defences are, I think they're going to make a comeback. So invest in drop goals.

That Kockott lad is one heck of a player. He must be taking his spinach too.