BARRING ANY LATE surprises, it’s likely that the Toulouse team to face Leinster in Saturday’s Champions Cup final will be similar to the one that lost 41-22 in last season’s semi-final in Dublin.
Toulouse’s big signing for this 2023/24 campaign was All Blacks tighthead prop Nepo Laulala but he ruptured his Achilles tendon in February so won’t be involved against Leinster.
There should be a couple of differences in the Toulouse backline, however, with Scotland international Blair Kinghorn having joined the reigning Top 14 champions in early December.
Mid-season transfers are unusual in rugby but French international fullback Melvyn Jaminet was unhappy and his move to Toulon prompted Toulouse to make an approach for Kinghorn. Edinburgh got a transfer fee, Kinghorn got a three-year deal in France, and Toulouse got a player who fitted in seamlessly.
He has started all seven of their Champions Cup games so far at fullback, excelling as he has embraced their attacking mindset. It helped that the previous incumbent at number 15, Thomas Ramos, was playing at out-half when Kinghorn arrived. Romain Ntamack was still injured at that stage, so the timing was good.
But even with Ntamack back at number 10, Kinghorn was picked to start at fullback for the quarter-final and semi-final, with Ramos in the unusual position of coming off the bench for Toulouse.
Kinghorn has even taken on place-kicking duties at stages and even though he can also play on the wing, 10 of his 11 starts for Toulouse have been at fullback.
The other fresh face among the Toulouse backs is exciting 21-year-old outside centre Paul Costes, who was promoted to the starting XV for the quarter-final win over Exeter and deservedly kept his spot for the semi-final against Quins.
Costes – whose father, Arnaud, played for France – is a native of Toulouse and very much a player of the Stade Toulousain tradition. He’s evasive, skillful, daring, and combative. Having helped the France U20s to their World Championship title last year, beating Ireland in the final, he is already making an impact in senior rugby.
Otherwise, Ugo Mola’s Toulouse team is one that will feel familiar to Leinster.
They still have lots of world-class players, including the very best of them: Antoine Dupont.
Incredibly, Dupont seems to have taken his game to another level in recent months. He seems revitalised and re-energised by his stint with the France 7s in preparation for playing at the Paris Olympics this summer.
The sublime halfback has had three Top 14 starts at out-half but Toulouse will hope he can spend the entirety of the game against Leinster in his scrum-half slot after last season’s backfiring of their 6:2 bench split meant Dupont had to move to out-half after just 15 minutes as Ntamack shifted to midfield.
Dupont’s form ahead of this final is frightening, with his decision-making better than ever, his pace seemingly up another notch after his 7s training, and his power in contact as imposing as it has always been.
Ntamack has returned from his long-term knee injury impressively, looking strong and quick as well as mentally hungry. He was badly missed by club and country while sidelined given that he kicks and defends superbly along with his moments of flair.
France loosehead prop Cyril Baille has been playing some of his best rugby recently, combining scrum aggression with work-rate around the pitch and a revival of his eye-catching passing and offloading game.
In Paeto Mauvaka and Julien Marchand, Toulouse have two elite hookers in their matchday 23, while the experienced Dorian Aldegheri has stepped up well in Laulala’s absence.
Second row Thibaud Flament is another French Test player who is in superb nick, while the mammoth Emmanual Meafou has made major strides of progress having become a France international too. Meafou was largely nullified by Leinster last year, so the 145kg lock has a big point to prove. Throw in the experienced Richie Arnold and it’s a strong crop of second rows.
England’s Jack Willis is another man who probably feels he owes it to himself to be more impactful against Leinster, with his improved ball-carrying showing up alongside his usual levels of breakdown threat.
Number eight Alexandre Roumat came off the bench last year but has been the starter in the middle of the back row this season, while Toulouse usually play well when the teak-tough but unhyped François Cros is at his best in the number six shirt.
The excellent Anthony Jelonch saw his season ended by an ACL injury in January so he will be absent.
In a similar vein to Cros, one of the most crucial and yet still under-the-radar players in the Toulouse set-up is former Connacht centre Pita Ahki. He is a glue-like figure whose physicality is important, while he passes well under pressure. Ahki has combined well with Costes in midfield and generally makes everything run more smoothly.
The lightning-quick Matthis Lebel has started all seven Champions Cup games out wide, six on the left wing and one on the right, scoring five tries along the way. He isn’t the biggest wing around but he packs a punch and his footwork is devilish.
Argentina international Juan Cruz Mallía has been the starter on the right wing in this competition, while also featuring regularly at out-half in the Top 14, and his tactical and technical flexibility is useful.
One flyer who hasn’t had a start in the Champions Cup this season is Italy international Ange Capuozzo, who made his return from injury in the Top 14 win against Stade Français last weekend. The 25-year-old was excellent on the right wing, showing his attacking brilliance. Capuozzo certainly adds firepower with the ball if Mola feels he needs more of that.
With fine players like France-capped loosehead Rodrigue Neti, tightheads David Ainu’u and Joël Merkler, improved scrum-half Paul Graou, and backs such as Demetri Delibes, Capuozzo, and Pierre Louis-Barassi to pick from in their matchday 23, this is a potent Toulouse squad.
While it will feel like a familiar teamsheet for Leinster, there’s no doubt that Toulouse boss Ugo Mola believes most of his key men are in their best form right now and that a couple of tweaks to his 23 since last year make them a more dangerous side.
