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C. Baille (2'), A. Dupont (10', 72'), J. Marchand (24', 33'), J. Brennan (58'), R. Ntamack (66')
Tries
S. Maqala (5'), T. Spring (16'), G. Cramont (49'), M. Carreras (80')
R. Ntamack (10', 24', 59', 67', 73')
Conversions
J. Segonds (5', 17', 50', 80')
Penalties
J. Segonds (9', 13')
This told us more about where Stade Toulousain are choosing to live than anything else: high tempo, ball in hand, and the nerve to keep going even when the game frays. Against another early pacesetter, they trusted speed and skill at Ernest-Wallon and were rewarded with seven tries. Aviron Bayonnais came to race and had the wheels to stay alongside for a long time, but the home side’s precision at source and a late surge separated them.
We don’t yet have the usual spread of verified post-match reporting to lean on for the tactical whys, so take the numbers as the shape of the thing. Toulouse carried more, owned more ball and made Bayonne tackle far too often to last. The lineout was a platform rather than a lottery, and when they reached the red zone they didn’t dither. That’s the game, right there.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
YELLOW CARD
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
If there was a hinge, it came after Toulouse had every excuse to wobble. Down to 14 when Tommaso Menoncello was binned and briefly behind at 24–27 once Guillaume Cramont struck off the bench, the league leaders replied with three tries in 14 minutes. That run didn’t arrive from nowhere. A 17-of-18 lineout gave them repeat entries and clean launch ball; two first-half finishes for Julien Marchand already hinted at how ruthless that set-piece would be near the posts. Later, with Bayonne’s tackle count climbing and the gain line starting to give, Toulouse’s strike players did the rest.
Antoine Dupont was the difference between fast and decisive. Fourteen carries, six defenders beaten, two tries and a hand in more—his second score on 72 minutes felt like a leader taking the contest off the table. Around him, Romain Ntamack steered cleanly—five conversions and a try—and his tempo from first receiver stretched defenders who were already upright. Up front, Joshua Brennan worked both sides of the ball (16 tackles and a try) and Thibaud Flament added the connective tissue Toulouse need when they play at this pace. Cyril Baille set the tone with an early finish; Marchand’s brace was the byproduct of a hooker who threw straight all night and a pack that hit their lifts on time.
Bayonne didn’t wilt early; they were bold enough to trade. Sireli Maqala and Tom Spring landed punches in the first quarter, both off sharp edges rather than grind, and Joris Segonds kept the board ticking with two penalties and then went 4/4 off the tee. There was impact in reserve too: Cramont’s try and six straight throws gave them a foothold after half-time. The back three were live all evening—Mateo Carreras’s 80th-minute try and 70 metres carried underlined it—and Yohan Orabe picked telling lines. If you’re picking a worker, Alexandre Fischer made 21 tackles and kept Bayonne in contests they had no right to win on phase 7 or 8.
Where it went away from them is where most visiting sides lose in Toulouse: too many tackles for too long, and not enough slow ball to change the rhythm. One or two lineouts went awry at the wrong time, and with Toulouse’s own throw almost perfect, the possession pendulum was never going to swing back. The missed tackle count climbed as the game opened, and once Toulouse found front-foot ball in that 58–72 window, Bayonne’s edges couldn’t close. They did punish the yellow card immediately; they couldn’t ride the next wave.
Does the margin flatter anyone? Not really. At 73 minutes it was 45–27 and the hosts had control; Carreras’ late flourish narrowed it but didn’t change the picture. Equally, Toulouse’s 16 turnovers kept Bayonne in touch for longer than a leader might like. Clean that up and it’s a canter. Leave it there and a side with Bayonne’s backline will keep asking questions.
The takeaways are clear enough without the full debrief. For Toulouse, the high-pace blueprint holds, and the set piece—especially the lineout—can underpin it against good teams. The work-ons are discipline and ball security; a yellow and that many spills are avoidable risks in tighter games. For Bayonne, there’s no crisis in a defeat like this away from home. The attack is sharp, the bench adds something, and they can go with the leaders for long stretches. To belong in that company over 80, they’ll need more disruption at the breakdown and fewer defensive sets. On this evidence, they’re not far off.
