GONE IN 19 SECONDS: TOULOUSE'S TURNOVER ATTACK IS THEIR SUPERPOWER

NOWHERE IS THE Toulouse DNA more obvious than when they’re counter-attacking from turnovers.

Sure, they’re a huge, powerful team these days and can be very direct, but Stade Toulousain still sing at the moment when the ball changes hands and broken play beckons.

Their comfort in chaos is a calling card. Teams who give up turnovers are punished in ruthless, skillful, confident fashion. Leinster know that if they’re to win the Champions Cup final on 25 May, they have to limit Toulouse’s chances to counter.

Harlequins were the latest team to fall foul of Toulouse’s clinical streak in last weekend’s thrilling semi-final at Le Stadium where three of the French side’s six tries came from turnovers, with another off a quick-tap penalty following a breakdown turnover.

Toulouse’s first score came just after Antoine Dupont’s cross-field kick from a scrum had nearly sent wing Juan Cruz Mallía over in the right corner.

The ball bounces into touch and Harlequins have a high-pressure five-metre lineout. Toulouse pounce for a steal through lock Thibaud Flament.

The match footage doesn’t show Quins’ dummy jump at the front but Toulouse don’t buy the deception as they stay down initially and then get Flament into the air on the actual jump from Chandler Cunningham-South.

Glasgow are the only side to have stolen more lineouts than Toulouse in the Champions Cup this season and the French team are excellent are instantly snapping into attack mode when they turn the ball over in this area.

As we see in this instance, it almost looks like it’s Toulouse’s throw so quickly do they spring onto the offensive.

It’s loosehead prop Cyril Baille who carries abrasively, stepping off his left foot and powerfully into contact as he beats the first tackle attempt. France international Baille appears to be back in his best form.

Baille generates momentum that continues with another of the big Toulouse carriers, 145kg lock Emmanuel Meafou, coming around the corner to make an impact.

Quins actually make a bit of a dent in the initial double tackle but three Toulouse players latch on to get Meafou going forward, while the gigantic lock fights to get the ball free of the choke tackle effort.

The offload is possibly not something Quins expect in this exact situation, with so many bodies around Meafou and the ball seemingly tied up, but Toulouse can often surprise with their ability to play out of even the most congested areas.

In this instance, Quins lock Stephen Lewies does react but as we see below, Antoine Dupont is skillful enough to get his pass away before he can be tackled.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka has already worked cross-field into a wider position and with out-half Romain Ntamack directing him, sets up to receive the pass from Dupont as Ntamack bounces out the back.

Mauvaka does an excellent job of taking Dupont’s pass, which is up over his head, and transferring it immediately behind to Ntamack while also ensuring he gets a bump onto Quins centre Luke Northmore just after passing.

That bump from Mauvaka on Northmore is key because it buys Ntamack more time on the ball, as we see below.

So Ntamack has that hint of extra time to take Mauvaka’s pass, assess his opinions and pull the trigger.

He opts for a long bridge pass over the heads of onrushing Quins defenders Louis Lynagh and Tyrone Green, who are looking to close down the narrower passing options of Pita Ahki, Paul Costes, and Blair Kinghorn.

Toulouse wing Matthis Lebel is the beneficiary and collects Ntamack’s pass to dive in untouched for a fourth-minute try.

Just 19 seconds earlier, Quins were throwing into their own lineout but that’s how quickly Toulouse can punish you.

The Top 14 side can also score from deep when the ball is turned over, as they showed for their fourth try in Sunday’s semi-final.

Again, it comes from a lineout turnover as Quins miss their mark.

The overthrow bounces between Ntamack and Northmore as they both avoid the risk of going to ground and colliding with the other, meaning it pops up for flanker Jack Willis. 

His first instinct is to shift the ball on to centre Ahki, who then does a fine job of delaying his pass enough to make sure that Quins midfielder André Esterhuizen has fully committed to tackling him.

That work from Ahki means that as 21-year-old centre Paul Costes gets on the ball, there is a widening gap on the inside of Quins out-half Marcus Smith as he chases across to make up ground.

Scrum-half Danny Care has been a little slower to hustle on the inside and Costes is quick to identify the opportunity.

It does still end up as a 3-on-3 on the edge but Smith overchases and Costes is able to take advantage with a slick step back to the inside before accelerating upfield.

As he sprints, Costes assesses his options and realises that the passing lanes on either side of him are blocked by retreating Quins players.

Lynagh [blue below] is covering across to tackle Costes.

Costes’ comfort in this situation is evident as he decides the best space is further upfield and he uses a grubber kick to get the ball there.

The lightning-quick Quins wing Caden Murley does manage to edge slightly in front of Kinghorn on the chase, but there is contact between them and Murley can’t reel the ball in.

Instead, the ball comes back underneath both of their bodies and sits up perfectly for Dupoint to scoop and finish.

The Toulouse scrum-half has covered lots of ground at high speed to get into this position.

He starts off defending in the five-metre channel at the lineout…

… and then immediately reacts as Quins lose the lineout.

Dupont’s pace is obvious as Costes breaks upfield…

… and he continues to burn past retreating Quins players as Costes kicks.

Dupont’s speed, awareness, and work-rate leave him in position to finish another lethal counter-attack try.

Again, it takes 19 seconds from Quins lineout throw to Toulouse dotting down.

Their next try, again finished by Dupont, comes from a breakdown poach.

But rather than kicking down the line after Alexandre Roumat earns the penalty, Toulouse are gone in the blink of an eye through a Dupont quick tap. Quins never catch up.

Four phases and 45 seconds later, Dupont gets an easy finish after Mauvaka’s crafty break.

No one does it quite like Toulouse.

Turn the ball over at your peril against the French masters of counter-attack magic.

2024-05-08T19:39:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd