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D. Delibes (18', 45'), C. Tolofua (36'), L. Anyanwu (50', 78'), L. Akrab (61'), V. Welsch (66'), A. Bernadet (77')
Tries
L. McGrath (71')
D. Miotti (19', 46', 51'), S. Hogg (67', 79')
Conversions
A. Aucagne (71')
Penalties
A. Aucagne (11', 48')
All the pre-match noise was about the Septeo surface. By the end, the only thing that mattered was how ruthlessly Montpellier imposed themselves. This wasn’t a spectacle rescued by a lucky bounce on a chewed-up field; it was a clear pecking order re-stated. The hosts kept the ball, won their lineout, and punished a USAP side that couldn’t stay on the right side of the referee or the gain line for long enough to make it a contest.
We don’t yet have the post-match spin, but we do have the shape of the game. Montpellier were efficient in the red zone and accurate off set piece, and they had more variety in their carry profile. When the match loosened after the break, they were sharper and quicker to strike. That’s why it ballooned.
The small hinge was obvious: a yellow to Lucas Velarte on 35 minutes handed Montpellier the only clean look they were owed in a tight first half, and Christopher Tolofua cashed it in for 12–3 at the turn. The big hinge came straight after the restart. Dimitri Delibes finished on 45 minutes, then when Antoine Aucagne clipped back three, Lennox Anyanwu answered immediately. Nineteen-six turned into 26–6 without Perpignan asking a question. From there the scoreboard told an unkind truth: Montpellier were in control and had fresh legs to twist the knife.
If you’re looking for the substance behind the scoreline, start with the volume. Montpellier ran 132 carries to USAP’s 78, held 55% of the ball and made seven clean breaks to two. The lineout was near-perfect at 16 from 17, and it stayed that way even with a change at hooker. USAP conceded 13 penalties, which bled them of field position and let Montpellier stack entries. That many defensive sets on a chopped-up pitch is a slow death.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
Individually, this was Delibes’ afternoon on the edge and Arthur Vincent’s between the tramlines. Delibes’ brace came with 86 metres, three clean breaks and five beaten defenders; Vincent carried for 62 and forced USAP to fold extra bodies around the corner, which opened the width later on. Anyanwu was a handful in contact and took two tries, but his yellow on 57 minutes was the sort of soft moment they can’t afford against better sides. Behind them, Tom Banks picked his moments well from the back and kept Montpellier on the front foot.
Up front, the work was unflashy and decisive. Tolofua hit 13 throws before handing over to Lyam Akrab, who added three more and a try for good measure. Billy Vunipola quietly did what he was signed to do: 20 carries, 41 metres, and 12 tackles, constantly putting the nine and ten on front-foot ball. The scrum numbers are too small to make grand claims, but the lineout dominance gave Montpellier all the platform they needed, and their back-five movement around Florian Verhaeghe varied the point of contact smartly.
USAP had effort, not shape. They beat more defenders overall, which reads like broken field wins rather than structured gain-line. Their two clean breaks tell the real story: they didn’t threaten enough. Eneriko Buliruarua and Tristan Tedder were the few to punch holes or link, but they were playing against the tide. Enzo Forletta put in 18 tackles on his return to Montpellier, which says something about how often Perpignan were forced to defend around the corner. Aucagne’s eight points kept a veneer of contact on the scoreboard until the hour, and Luke McGrath added a spark and a try, but that was garnish. The penalty count and a frayed lineout (81%) denied them the phases to apply any real squeeze.
Does 50–13 flatter Montpellier? A touch, because two tries came in the final three minutes when USAP’s legs and shape were gone. But the scale is mostly earned. You don’t stumble into eight tries off this possession and set-piece share. If anything, the home side will be annoyed by 11 turnovers coughed up and the lapse that brought Anyanwu’s card. Those are the crumbs a La Rochelle or Toulouse turns into 14 points.
For USAP, the work-ons write themselves: discipline, exit accuracy and a clearer plan off first phase. Conceding 13 penalties and defending 156 tackles on a heavy surface is a blueprint for exactly this kind of afternoon. The backline has pace—Theo Forner and Buliruarua both carried with intent—but they need territory and a lineout they trust to frame it. The bench injection from McGrath is worth banking.
For Montpellier, this aligns with what their manager has been saying since summer—“On ne peut plus se cacher.” Finalists last season and European winners, they’re too seasoned to be spooked by grass that cuts up. More important is that the spine looks settled: Bernadet controlled tempo and even nicked a late try, Domingo Miotti steered with restraint, and the Tolofua–Akrab relay at hooker covered a tricky injury picture without fuss. The visit of Toulouse will stress-test the breakdown and their discipline. But this felt like a team that knows exactly where its points are coming from, and on this evidence, they won’t be hard to find.
