A rare 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit large parts of western France on Friday evening, with the seismology bureau calling it “very strong” amid reports of damage to buildings. Ecology transition minister Christophe Béchu said it was “one of the strongest quakes registered on the mainland.”

The national network for seismic surveillance recorded the quake at 5.3 while the French Central Seismological Bureau (BCSF) put it at 5.8. The last earthquakes of similar strength in France struck in the early 2000s.

Last night the Tectonic plates in Saint Denis were smashed like happy hour in a Greek restaurant, as Skelton, Meafou, Antonio and company knocked the living daylights out of each other in a brutal pulsating affair.

The collisions were off the Richter scale in the steamy sultry airless Stade de France.

Alldritt ran and ran like Forest gump on steroids, if Life is like a box of chocolates than poor Grégory has gone from the coffee creams in Dublin to the montellimar nougat, the hard chewy one that everyone leaves in the box, in Paris.

The Top 14 season that never ends, finally ended in sticky steamy twenty-five degree Parisian darkness when Toulouse lifted the Bouclier de Brennus, the trophy the size and shape of a front door, as they were crowned the 2023 Top 14 champions.

Guest of Honour, President Macron has seen a lot of yellow shirts in Paris lately but this time it was a group with Top 14 title aspirations rather than pension reforms that were the focus of attention.

Santiago Chocobares took advantage of a Jonathan Dante knock-on, and outpaced the La Rochelle defence to score the game’s opening try in the 23rd minute. Ramos converted, and Toulouse lead 13-3.

Antoine Hastoy added a penalty for La Rochelle, after failing with two kickable ones, before a Francois Cros’ knock-on five metres from his own line led to the scrum from which scrum half Tawera Kerr-Barlow sniped like a giant mole to touchdown, Hastoy landed the simple conversion to make it 13-13 at the break.

Uini Atonio barrelled over five minutes into the second half, following Pierre Bourgarit’s searing break and it looked like La Rochelle were in control with an 20-13 lead.

Ramos kicked three penalties to give Toulouse a 22-20 lead before Hastoy replied with two of his own to put La Rochelle in front 26-22.

With time running out Ntamack kicked a penalty to the corner aiming for the 5 metre mark he sliced his kick over the dead ball line, the colour drained visibly from his face, it was surely game over for Toulouse.

But we should have known better, the Ntmack family don’t do “game over” and with 77.42 on the clock he took a delicious pass from Dupont to ghost past Seuteni and Leyds before sprinting 50 metres to touch down behind the posts. Ramos’ conversion made it 29-26 to give Toulouse their 22nd Bouclier de Brennus, and their third since 2019.

Back in the Toulouse changing room President Macron downed a bottle of beer in one to the applause of the Stade Toulsain players and staff. Maybe pension reforms could take on a similar negotiation platform, but for now it was only the yellow shirts drenched in sweat and tears sat exhausted and stunned that mattered, and it was the boys from the Pink City that found all of the sudden that the night air was beautifully cool and sweet.

LA ROCHELLE. Dulin; Leyds, Seuteni, Danty, Rhule; Hastoy, Kerr-Barlow (Berjon 69’); Botia (Bourdeau 20’, Botia 30’, (Bourdeau 67’), Alldritt (cap), Paul Boudehent (Dillane 67’); Skelton, Sazy (Lavault 51’); Atonio (Colombe 60’), Bourgarit (Lespiaucq 57’), Wardi (Sclavi 60’).

TOULOUSE. Ramos; Retière (Mallia 54’), Chocobares, Ahki, Lebel; Ntamack, Dupont; Cros, Roumat (Placines 60’), Willis (Tolofua 67’); Meafou (Arnold 58’), Arnold (Flament 54’); Aldegheri (Faumuina 58’), Marchand (Mauvaka 60’), Baille (Neti 67’).