Montpellier grinds past Stade Français 25-15, sets up Top 14 final date with Toulouse
Montpellier defeated Stade Français 25-15 in Marseille on Saturday, earning a spot in the Top 14 final against defending champions Toulouse next week.
Hard-fought semi-final
On Saturday evening at the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille, Montpellier overcame Stade Français 25-15 to book a place in the Top 14 final. The match was a tense arm-wrestle – the French press calling it a "bras de fer" – between the league's top two regular-season sides. Montpellier's defence, the best in the competition, conceded just 15 points while holding Paris scoreless in the entire second half.
Early pressure from the Héraultais brought the first try. Tom Banks crossed in the 9th minute to make it 10-3, but Stade Français struck back rapidly. Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Peniasi Dakuwaqa scored within three minutes of each other, giving the Parisians a 10-15 lead midway through the opening period. From that point, Montpellier re-established control through forward power and the unerring boot of Domingo Miotti.
Scrum and defence tilt the balance
Montpellier's pack took charge after the interval. The Parisian scrum, a feared weapon all season, was penalised five times between the 43rd and 77th minutes. In contrast, the MHR conceded only four penalties in the entire match. That set-piece edge, paired with Miotti's perfection from the tee (17 points, 100% success), allowed the southern side to pull ahead and never look back.
One flash point summed up the defensive resolve. At 22-15 in the 67th minute, a loose ball was hacked ahead by Louis Carbonel, sending Joe Marchant sprinting toward the line. Winger Donovan Taofifenua chased back with a speed compared to a high-speed train and made a try-saving tackle that preserved the lead.
There was a huge battle. We expected it.
When this team finds the key to the safe, they can play good rugby. We have to make sure they don't find it and force an arm-wrestle.
A third final, a giant awaits
Montpellier's reward is a trip to the Stade de France next Saturday to face reigning triple champions Toulouse, who dismantled Racing 92 71-17 in the other semi-final. It marks only the third final in the club's history and a remarkable turnaround from two years ago, when they narrowly avoided relegation via the play-off against Grenoble.
The final is a rematch of the 2011 showdown for the Brennus shield. In the regular season, Montpellier thrashed Toulouse 44-8 in September but lost the return fixture 45-29. Toulouse will be favourites, but Montpellier's defensive steel and set-piece prowess suggest a tighter contest than the first semi-final suggested.
Key figures
- Montpellier 25–15 Stade Français (half-time 10-15)
- Domingo Miotti: 17 points, 100% kicking
- Penalties conceded: Montpellier 4, Stade Français 5 in second-half scrums
- Paris kept scoreless for the entire second half
