Six days ago the Stade Toulousain squad trudged off the field at Matmut Atlantique stadium, their European dreams in tatters.
They were well and truly beaten by Bordeaux in a brutal Investec European Champions Cup semi-final.
Heads bowed and with in an injury list growing by the day, they were faced with a daunting short turnaround before meeting Toulon in Marseille, a massive challenge both physically and mentally.
The Orange Velodrome though is an inspiring place with the mountains peaking through the gaps in the stands it is a wonderful sporting arena.
This annual Top 14 encounter encompasses a rugby festival and the whole area is in rugby party mood along with the sold out 67,000 capacity crowd at the stadium for a post 9pm kick off.
Toulouse injury list resembles a box set of ‘Casualty’. Arnold, Kinghorn, Ramos, Mauvaka, Dupont, Laulala and Banos are all out of action for varying time spans, whilst Bituniyata, Neti, Jack Willis and Juan Cruz Malia were rested due to their recent exertions.
But last night normal service was resumed as their depleted outfit put fifty points on arch rivals Toulon.
Toulon held all the cards in the first half, unfortunately they were yellow and red ones which scuppered any hopes of a victory.
Esteban Abadie received the first carton Jaune after just 8 minutes, followed by Baptiste Serin a minute later after collapsing a maul which resulted in a penalty try for the away side.
Castro-Ferreira and Alainu’uese traded tries for Toulouse and Toulon respectively, whilst Paul Costes received a yellow card for a spear tackle on Baptiste Serin which could easily have been a red.
Serin was the centre of attention again in the 39th minute, when he received his second yellow for interfering with the ball at a ruck in the red zone. Two yellows become a red card, and the talisman scrum-half left his team a man short for the rest of the game.
A scrappy first half ended with a narrow lead for Toulouse (14-13) but the second half was a totally different story.
With an extra man and with the introduction of Meafou and Theo Ntamack, Toulouse scored 36 points to Toulon’s three. Tries rained in from Chocobares, Costes, Lebel, Barassi, and two from Grauo who came on as a replacement for Romain Ntamack after he failed a head injury assessment.
Toulouse are now guaranteed a semi-final berth, which will hopefully give them a bit of time to rest recover and heal their long list of casualties.
Yesterday in front of 2,000 excited onlookers at the 02 arena the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia was announced.
Perhaps the worst kept secret was the identity of the Captain, Maro Itoje,which became common knowledge a long way before the official announcement was made.
Former Wales and Lions legend 2025 tour manager Ieuan Evans read out the names of the 38 players who head down under this summer.
Not too many shocks in selection but the fly half berth will be missing Owen Farrell and Sam Prendergast who were touted heavily for a tour place, and the man of the moment Northampton’s 20 year old Henry Pollock gains a Lions selection after setting the rugby world on fire this season.
Lions Head Coach Andy Farrell, said: “I want to congratulate Maro on being named captain of The British & Irish Lions.
“This is a great honour for Maro, his family and everyone who has supported him throughout his career from Saracens to England – and on to The Lions in 2017 and 2021.
“As a two-time tourist, Maro fully understands what The Lions is all about and also the role of the captain in helping the group achieve its goal of winning a Test Series this summer.”
Speaking about the squad, Farrell added: “Since we met as a coaching unit for the very first time six weeks ago we have been discussing more than 75 players of interest.
“But the key job is getting that squad balance right as we prepare for a long and demanding tour that finishes with a Three Test Series against the Wallabies.
“I am very excited about working with this group and believe they have the capacity to achieve something special and add to the Lions legacy.”
England captain Itoje, was the youngest player on the 2017 tour of New Zealand.
He has featured in all six of The Lions’ last Test matches and was voted as the Lions’ Player of the Series in South Africa, 2021.
The 2025 Lions Tour Captain Itoje said: “It feels amazing to be named Lions captain. I’m deeply honoured, humbled and I will do my best to do the role justice.
“I am very much looking forward to the challenge ahead, it’s going to be a great Tour. I know the appetite amongst the players is extremely high, everyone is hungry to be a Lion and I can’t wait to play my role.”
The Lions will face Argentina in the 1888 Cup in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, June 20 before heading down under.
The Tour includes fixtures against Western Force, Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, ACT Brumbies, ANZAC Invitational XV, First Nations & Pasifika XV and three Tests against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
The British & Irish Lions Chair and Tour Manager Ieuan Evans, MBE said: “It was my great privilege and thrill to announce the players selected by Andy Farrell and his coaching group for the 2025 Australia Tour.
“I wish all the players and our new captain Maro Itoje the very best of luck. These are very special days and I am sure all the players will continue to show the qualities of a Lion for the final few weeks of the season before flying to Australia.
“There is no higher honour in our sport than being selected for a Lions tour and this fantastic group will come together to represent the very best of our four Unions and seek to achieve greatness with a series win over the Wallabies.”
Lions CEO Ben Calveley said: “To be able to share the excitement of our first ever squad announcement amongst more than 2,000 fans at The O2 illustrates why the Lions is so unique.
“The Sea of Red will now come together and get behind this young and impressive squad that Andy Farrell and his assistant coaches have selected.
“The live broadcast on Sky Sports ensured a large audience had the opportunity to watch as each player was announced.
“Whilst our digital channels drive engagement around the world as excitement continues to build ahead of the tour.”
The British & Irish Lions Squad
Forwards: (21) Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853 Ben Earl (Saracens/England) Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #848 Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (C) Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
Backs: (17) Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837 Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841 Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)
Wales only have two representatives which brings home the stark reality of their position in world order, their lowest ever representation in a lions squad.
Ireland have the largest representation of players with 15, England have 13 and Scotland 8.
There is still a fair bit of rugby to be played before the lions face Argentina in Dublin and sadly there will no doubt be some casualties before the tour party leave these shores, but for now these are men with the one of rugby’s greatest honours bestowed upon them.
Those of us who hail from West Wales are well aware of the meteorological disadvantage we have to endure on a daily basis. So when there are blue skies and warm sunshine in Llanelli, you have a sneaking feeling that something good is about to happen.
This factor is true for the most of Wales. Those of us exiled in foreign parts are all too aware that the moment your vehicle sets foot on the Severn Bridge from the English end, its windscreen wipers leap into action, but not this weekend.
Welsh rugby has worn a frown for what seems like an eternity, but that oval-shaped furrowed brow turned into a cautious semi grin as good news cascaded from the clear blue heavens.
Friday night in the capital, a packed crowd at the Arms Park and a result that gladdened the heart gave us a feeling of how things could be and a moment of respite from the grave position Welsh rugby finds itself in.
Munster came to town and the blue and blacks not only stood up to the Munster men, they displayed a passion and a fervour that earned them a 26-21 victory, keeping them in contention for a play off place.
The sunshine had disappeared temporarily in the evening skies, but the 11,253 present sang and cheered like days of old.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and after twenty-four hours of glorious weather, the normal consequence in Wales is for at least thirty days of rain to follow.
But Saturday morning broke and as the nation reached for their umbrellas, the bewildering sight of continued blue skies and sunshine had the residents of Carmarthenshire rooting through their bathroom cabinets for the ‘Factor 50’.
However, there was a dark cloud on the horizon the visit of Leinster to Parc y Scarlets and fears of a heavy defeat wafted around Pemberton Retail Park as one of the best sides in Europe arrived in town.
They always used to say beware of playing France in Paris with the sun on their backs, well maybe we can now the same of the Scarlets in Llanelli, even if a full day’s sunshine only turns up as often as Halley’s Comet.
Scarlets put in a performance to match the weather earning a bonus point win against a Leinster side admittedly with many stars being rested for next week’s European semi final, but even so, the visitors had plenty of Irish internationals on show and their strength in depth is renowned envied world wide.
A four try 35-22 win for the men in red is not be undervalued and Taine Plumtree’s performance was mesmerising and heroic in equal measure. Smiles in the sunshine were a welcome change from tears on the terraces.
The glorious weather continues this Sunday morning but the long range rugby forecast in these parts is changeable with the probability of a depression sweeping in at various stages.
But for one weekend at least the sun shone on Welsh rugby, let’s hope we get a heatwave and a hosepipe ban soon.
The mouth watering Investec Champions Cup quarter-final between Toulon and Toulouse did not need a pre match dangling parachutist to warm up the crowd.
Fortunately this week there were no Ariel delays to kick off as the match ball arrived in a more traditional and less perilous manner.
As the traditional pilou pilou drifted up into the grey drizzle laden clouds, the rouge et noir were ready to do battle and turn the words of their fabulous anthem into action.
A sign above the player’s tunnel, the last thing they see before stepping on to the lush green grass carries the wording:
‘THIS IS THE MAYOL RESPECT THE LAND OF OUR ELDERS’
Ten years ago those rugby elders were sweeping all before them in the Champions Cup with a team of stars that lit up the clear cloudless Mediterranean skies. Halfpenny, Habana, Botha, Guirado, Hernandez and co lifted the Champions Cup at Twickenham in 2015 after defeating Clermont 24-18, the last time they won the title.
Toulouse of course have a much more recent winning pedigree, being reigning champions and six times holders of the cup.
Beauty as they say is in the eyes of the beholder and if you are beholden to tense error strewn physically brutal rugby then this was the game for you.
The immaculate boot of Melvyn Jaminet gave Toulon a 12-6 half-time lead as Toulon’s as Toulouse’ attempts to breach the opposition try line proved fruitless.
But the second half could not have started much better for the visitors.
A Ramos penalty and a Jack Willis try in the opening two minutes brought them to within a point of Toulon (12-11). Plus, a yellow card was awarded to Baptiste Serin.
Pita Ahki’s 50th minute try and Ramos’ subsequent conversion gave Toulouse an 18-12 lead.
Jaminet’s faultless boot added two penalties on 59 and 62 minutes to draw the sides level at 18-18.
It was evident that one single moment of genius or a simple error would decide the outcome of this titanic contest, and so it proved to be.
Gabin Villiere failed to gather a high kick in his own twenty-two and from the knock on Toulon were Penalised from a resulting infringement
With 80:13 on the clock Ramos slotted over the pressurised kick then as the final whistle blew he crouched over in tears as the enormity of the moment overwhelmed him, Toulouse had done it and Villiere’s contrasting emotions were equally emotionally intense and visible
So the cup kings head to a semi final in Bordeaux against their fierce Top 14 rivals, that could be quite some game.
Immediately following this game I collapsed and was rushed to hospital after many tests and 24 hours in hospital I have been allowed home hence the lateness of this article.
There were concerns about how slow my heart was beating apparently world class athletes have a similar heart rate but they don’t collapse in their own kitchens.
Despite March beginning its final countdown, the daffodils are still a beautiful site adorning the grounds of Cardiff Castle, reminding us that Spring has sprung as the lighter and longer days continue to extend.
But just across the road, it was a bunch of Red Roses that stole the rugby flower show yesterday as they bloomed under the roof of the Principality Stadium.
It came as no surprise that England extended their unbeaten run to twenty-two matches, and also to thirty Guinness Women’s Six Nations matches without a loss.
As we all put our clocks forward in the early hours of Sunday morning, Wales were no doubt wishing they could put theirs back eight hours in an attempt to achieve a different outcome to a match in which they were thoroughly beaten.
Transport for Wales may have reliability issues as train users in these parts will testify but the Keighley Express Ellie Kildunne can always be relied upon to reach the try line without disruption, Wales would have required a fleet of bus replacement services to derail the non-top touchdown service provided by her and the women in white.
On the plus side, the glorious sight of a record crowd for a women’s sporting event in Wales (21,186) gladdened the heart and proof if it were needed that women’s rugby continues to grow, not only in attendance terms but also in quality and excitement.
Eleven tries conceded and a 67-12 scoreline do not provide a barrel load of positives for the women in red, yet for the first ten minutes they dominated possession and took an early 7-0 lead
One thing Wales most definitely are not is slow starters, as they showed yesterday and also in their previous match against Scotland.
This is a new era for Wales Women and the gulf between them and the World number one side is brutally evident, but this team will improve the more time they have with the new coaching set up and perhaps the matches against Ireland and Italy will provide more of a level playing field to assess where Wales stand in the current world order.
The Médipôle Clinic on Rue de Girons in Toulouse was the centre of the rugby universe last Monday as Antoine Dupont finally underwent surgery on the right knee he so badly damaged in Dublin on Saturday, 8 March.
If there was a feeling of déjà vu, it was because five years ago he underwent the same surgery on the same knee on the same cruciate ligaments.
However, in 2018 it was solely the cruciate ligament that was damaged, this time the meniscus and the collateral ligaments were also affected.
Dupont decided to stay in the French camp following his injury suffered in the match against Ireland, and his severely swollen knee did not prevent him from lending his support to the squad.
With a protective boot, he collected his Six Nations Championship winner’s medal and helped lift the trophy after victory against Scotland at Stade de France.
Following the operation on Monday morning, he returned home the next day and sent a post on Instagram offering his thanks for the thousands of goodwill message he had received and also reassuring fans that the operation had gone well.
A long period of rehabilitation now awaits, with the recovery period calculated as between six and nine months.
The previous injury seven years ago kept him out of action between February and October. But you can be assured that Antoine and his medical team will be working hard on a daily basis to ensure the safest and speediest recovery possible.
The Rugby world will undoubtedly be all the poorer for his absence, particularly at this time, the business end of the season, with Toulouse gunning for European and Top 14 titles.
But hopefully there are plenty more miles in the tank for the man from Lannemezan.
Read Antoine Dupont’s story in my latest book Behind Enemy Nines available via the link for only £5.99 post free.
Wales Women were sent home from Edinburgh tae think again, as Scotland claimed a narrow 24-21 victory at the Murrayfield gazebo.
This pulsating match had with more cards than Clintons and an over enthusiastic TMO whose constant interventions frustrated fans and players alike.
Goodness knows, Welsh rugby and its followers needed a lift, and a try by Carys Phillips after just four minutes did just that to create a 7-0 lead.
A 17th Munster penalty from Helen Nelson narrowed the gap, and the remainder of the first half was all Scotland (and TMO).
Wales defended that narrow lead heroically, but the dam burst on thirty-six minutes when Sarah Bonar crashed over for a try converted by Helen Nelson to give Scotland a 10-7 lead at half-time.
As the Edinburgh dreich turned into a mini monsoon, Scotland took just four second half minutes to extend their lead with an Emma Orr once again converted by the admirable Nelson.
Wales then went on a rare attack with Chloe Rollie driven back over her own try line, A high tackle by Georgia Evans earned her a second yellow card having only just returned to the field.
Wales however refused to lie down, and after Evie Gallagher was shown a Red card for a dangerous lower limb clean out. Wales attacked from the line-out and the resulting maul concluded with Abbie Fleming crashing over for a try on 53 minutes. Keira Bevan’s conversion reduced the deficit to just three points (17-14).
Leah Bartlett’s 65th minute try looked to have won the game for Scotland, but this dogged Welsh outfit refused to lie down and from a driving maul Gwenllian Pyrs announced her arrival from the bench with a crucial try. Bevan’s conversion made it 24-21 with five minutes remaining.
Scotland managed the game well in the dying minutes as Wales tried desperately to win back possession to eke out an opening day victory.
New Wales head coach Sean Lynn who has only had a few days with his charges said: “What I asked the players to deliver this week, to bring energy and passion, I couldn’t fault them out there today. We talked at half-time to try and play a more territorial game because our set piece and driving maul had gone really well, and they delivered that. I’m super proud of the group. There were some defensive system errors which we feel are easy fixes moving onto next week, and with England we’ll definitely need to.”
‘I’ve paid my dues, Time after time I’ve done my sentence, But committed no crime And bad mistakes, I’ve made a few I’ve had my share of sand Kicked in my face But I’ve come through’………Freddie Mercury
France are the masters of late night rugby and the newly crowned kings of Europe play their best stuff when most of us are heading to bed.
As home kick off times lurch further and further past 9pm Les Bleus come into their own and last Saturday night was no exception.
By the time the worthy 2025 Guinness Six Nations champions left Stade de France ‘Super Saturday’ had become ‘Disheveled Dimanche’ as the celebrations straddled the midnight hour and beyond.
There were a few nervous moments as Scotland attempted to spoil the party but France’s power and pace, which is bordering on the scary, won through.
Bad mistakes ? Yes they made a few but they only had sand kicked in their face on one occasion and that was at Twickenham, where a plethora of try scoring opportunities butchered in that match will play on their minds as it robbed Les Bleus of a Grand Slam, but lifting the trophy at Stade de France in front of 80,000 was pretty good compensation.
Records also tumbled as Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored the most individual tries in a Six Nations tournament (8) to add to that feat he also touched down in every one of France’s matches.
France scored 30 tries in the tournament another record.
Thomas Ramos became France’s highest points scorer overtaking Freddie Michalak’s total of 436.
Now here comes the good news and the bad news.
The good news for rugby lovers and the bad news for opponents is the age profile of this French squad.
Only two of the starting XV are over the age of thirty. Uini Atonio is 34 and Antoine Dupont’s stunt double Maxime Lucu is 32.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey is only 21 whilst fly half Romain Ntamack a tender 25.
And it’s not just the backs. The forwards are also well away from their sell by date with Paul Boudehent (25) Jean -Baptiste Gros (25) and Mickaël Guillard (24) set to terrorise opposing packs for many years to come.
So the sky is the limit for this group.
Antoine Dupont will be operated on in the coming weeks as he continues his lengthy rehabilitation from that cruel ACL injury he received in Dublin, but it was a delight to see him smiling at the trophy presentation as he threw away his crutches to grab his Guinness Six Nations winners medal.
Thank you France for showing us the beauty and brutality of our wonderful game in the way which only you can.
‘We are the champions, my friends And we’ll keep on fighting till the end We are the champions We are the champions No time for losers ‘Cause we are the champions’…..
We don’t wanna be your enemy, But when we’re on the field, It’s red, white and green,
Get beat by the Irish, Get beat by the Scots, The French ought’ta struggle, But you’re the one we want,
As long as we beat the English, As long as we beat the English, As long as we beat the English, we don’t care
The Stereophonics carved their place in Welsh rugby folklore when they composed this classic song for a BBC Wales promo ahead of the clash with England at Wembley in 1999.
These days, it’s a case of as long we beat somebody-we don’t care who it is. But there is still something special about defeating the old enemy, especially for those of us living and undertaking missionary work on the wrong side of the River Severn.
The final day of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations Championship straddled the seasons. An icy cold wind wrapped in bright sunshine bathed Cardiff in a blanket of hope, one that would see Wales finally get that elusive and shackle-breaking win they were desperately seeking.
There was something in the air pre match, the prospect of a win based purely on hope and history and very little evidence.
Perhaps Wales Under 20s defeating England the previous night and depriving them of a Grand Slam set the tone, whatever, it was almost tangible.
The front page of Wales’ National newspaper The Western Mail had a one word header ‘Calon’ the Welsh word for Heart.
Sadly, all those hopes, feelings, and expectations were brutally blown away as England scored ten tries to rip the heart out of Wales.
For the Welsh fans, it was heartbreaking. To see their team demolished physically was a sobering experience and a sad reminder of where they sit in rugby’s world order.
Everything 50/50 went England’s way, which is usually how it goes when your team is on top, tries from headed assists included.
Wales had their chances, a dropped ball over the line, an early disallowed effort from Blair Murray who on another day could have had a hat trick.
But ifs and buts are almost an irrelevance when you lose a match, 68-14.
It was sad to see so many fans leaving the last chance saloon before last orders, but a heart, or should I say calon, can only take so much.
Hope was springing eternal, the whole of Wales was willing and praying for this to be the day that the Welsh victory drought finally found rugby precipitation.
But Wales left Murrayfield parched and the thirst for a win continues for at least another week.
The signs were good, an unchanged starting fifteen for the first time in sixty six matches, and an uplifting inspiring performance in the previous game against Ireland to put wind in their sails.
Wales displayed the good, the bad and the ugly in this Jekyll and Hyde performance, sadly the bad and the ugly massively outweighed the twenty minutes of good.
The first half bordered on the grotesque for the men in red as Scotland achieved a four try bonus point after only thirty three minutes.
All the power and precision evident in Cardiff was nowhere to be seen as the home side cut through at will. Scotland’s 28-8 half time lead was extended to 35-8 eight minutes into the second period, but that was the last time Scotland troubled the scoreboard.
Finn Russell’s departure signalled a Welsh revival and with the match seemingly won the Scots disintegrated.
Three tries in the last quarter earned Wales a try scoring and a losing point, those two points might even allow Wales to avoid a wooden spoon depending on next week’s results.
Had Taulupe Faletau’s try not been disallowed Wales might well have achieved one of the great rugby comebacks, but they need more than ifs and buts as their losing run extends to sixteen matches.
Next week it’s England under the roof, and if the rugby gods have read the script the Welsh capital will turn into an oasis as the long drought finally comes to an end, it’s time to offer up a prayer or two.
Mike Pearce Rugby 