Toulouse land 17th French championship

[pieter blackie]

PARIS (Reuters) - Toulouse claimed their 17th French championship with a 26-20 final win over Clermont on Saturday.
Toulouse, who last won the title in 2001, scored two tries through hooker William Servat and fullback Maxime Medard while captain Aurelien Rougerie replied with two touchdowns for Clermont.

The Stade de France result was heartbreaking for Clermont, who dominated the regular season before sliding to a record eighth final defeat.

"We are jinxed," said number eight Elvis Vermeulen. "We gave everything we had but once again we lost."

Rest of it here

[beige]

I wonder which game got more coverage back in France - this one or the test?

[KenyaQuin]

The assessment from PlanetRugby is much better. I'll have to get a copy of the game for sure.

Toulouse crowned kings of France
Saturday 28th June 2008

Toulouse were crowned champions of France for the seventeenth time in Paris on Saturday following a stunning 26-20 victory over Clermont at the Stade de France.

The club from the south-west of France buried the memories of their Heineken Cup Final loss of six weeks ago in an enthralling encounter in the French capital that lived up at all expectations.

...

What a match!

No one could have asked for more. Okay, Clermont fans could have asked for more, but no one can deny that France's two best teams produced the best game the country, possibly the world, has seen so far this year.

Clermont coach Vern Cotter spoke of the maturity his team needed to win the game, and in retrospect one could argue that it was Toulouse's big match temperament that gave them the edge in front of 80,000 screaming fans as the momentum swung back and forth.

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