Top 14 Final in Paris
On Saturday evening one of rugby's great competitions comes to an end – France's Top 14 of the 2011/12 season when Toulouse take on Toulon in Paris.
Toulouse are the holders of the title after beating Montpellier in last year's Top 14 Final.
The Championat dates back to 1892. Toulouse are the most frequent winners, having won it 18 times. Toulon have won it three times, the last time in 1992, but spent time in Pro D2, France's second professional division, before funding their way back into the Top 14.
Because of habit, Toulouse, with their team of internationals, are the favourites but one should not discount Toulon's Foreign Legion, of whom in the starting XV only Samoan David Smith does not have an international cap. But imagine having Yannick Jauzion on your bench, as Toulouse do?
There is so much skill in both sides, scope for lots of French flair. But French flair seems a thing of the past, almost a myth, in modern-day Top 14 when kicking and bashing are the mode of play.
The teams:
Toulouse: 15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Luke McAlister, 12 Florian Fritz, 11 Yves Donguy, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean Marc Doussain, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Census Johnston, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Christopher Tolofua, 17 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 18 Romain Millo Chlusky, 19 Grégory Lamboley, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Yannick Jauzion, 22 Timoci Matanavou, 23 Yohan Montes.
Toulon: 15 Benjamin Lapeyre, 14 Alexis Palisson, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Matthew Giteau, 11 David Smith, 10 Jonathan Wilkinson, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Joe van Niekerk (captain), 5 Simon Shaw, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Davit Kubriashvili, 2 Sébastien Bruno, 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Mickaël Ivaldi, 17 Laurent Emmanuelli, 18 Christophe Samson, 19 Pierrick Gunther, 20 Geoffroy Messina, 21 Luke Rooney, 22 Fabien Cibray, 23 Levan Chilachava .
Date: Saturday, 9 June
Kick-off: 18.00 (local time)
Venue: Stade de France
Expected weather conditions for Saturday: 40% chance of rain with a high of 18°C, dropping to 12°C.
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Christophe Berdos, Cyril Lafon
TMO: Daniel Gillet
French Championship Finals down the years:
1892: Racing Club de France vs Stade Français, 4-3
1893: Stade Français vs Racing Club der France, 7-3
1894: Stade Français vs Inter-Nos, 18-0
1895: Stade Français vs Olympique, 16-0
1896: Olympique vs Stade Français, 12-0
1899: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 5-3
1900: Racing Club de France vs Stade Bordelais, 37-3
1901: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 3-0
1902: Racing Club de France vs Stade Bordelais, 6-0
1903: Stade Français vs Toulouse, 16-8
1904: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 3-0
1905: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 12-3
1906: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 9-0
1907: Stade Bordelais vs Stade Français, 14-3
1908: Stade Français vs Stade Bordelais, 16-3
1909: Stade Bordelais vs Toulouse, 17-0
1910: FC Lyon vs Stade Bordelais, 13-8
1911: Stade Bordelais vs SCUF, 14-0
1912: Toulouse vs Racing Club de France, 8-6
1913: Aviron Bayonnais vs SCUF, 31-8
1914: Perpignan vs Tarbes, 8-7
1920: Tarbes vs Racing Club de France 8-3
1921: Perpignan vs Toulouse, 5-0
1922: Toulouse vs Aviron Bayonnais, 6-0
1923: Toulouse vs Aviron Bayonnais, 3-0
1924: Toulouse vs Perpignan, 3-0
1925: Perpignan vs Carcassonne, 0-0 after extra time. The match was replayed.
Perpignan vs Carcassonne, 5-0
1926: Toulouse vs Perpignan, 11-0
1927: Toulouse vs Stade Français, 19-9
1928: Pau vs Quillan, 6-4
1929: Quillan vs FC Lezignanais, 11-8
1930: Agen vs Quillan, 4-0
1931: Toulouse vs Lyon, 6-3
1932: Lyon vs Narbonne, 9-3
1933: Lyon vs Narbonne, 10-3
1934: Aviron Bayonnais vs Biarritz, 13-8
1935: Biarritz vs Perpignan, 3-0
1936: Narbonne vs Montferrand, 6-3
1937: Vienne vs Montferrand, 13-7
1938: Perpignan vs Biarritz, 11-6
1939: Biarritz vs Perpignan, 6-0
1943: Aviron Bayonnais vs Agen, 3-0
1944: Perpignan vs Aviron Bayonnais, 20-5
1945: Agen vs Lourdes, 7-3
1946: Pau vs Lourdes, 11-0
1947: Toulouse vs Agen, 10-3
1948: Lourdes vs Toulouse, 11-3
1949: Castres vs Mont-de-Marsan, 3-3 after extra time. The match was replayed.
Castres vs Mont-de-Marsan, 14-3
1950: Castres vs Racing Club de France, 11-8
1951: US Carmausine vs Tarbes, 14-12
1952: Lourdes vs Perpignan, 20-11
1953: Lourdes vs Mont-de-Marsan, 21-16
1954: Grenoble vs Cognac, 5-3
1955: Perpignan vs Lourdes, 11-6
1956: Lourdes vs Dax, 20-0
1957: Lourdes vs Racing Club de France, 16-13
1958: Lourdes vs Mazametain, 25-8
1959: Racing Club de France vs Mont-de-Marsan, 8-3
1960: Lourdes vs Béziers, 14-11
1961: Béziers vs Dax, 6-3
1962: Agen vs Béziers, 14-11
1963: Mont-de-Marsan vs Dax, 9-6
1964: Pau vs Béziers, 14-0
1965: Agen vs Brive, 15-8
1966: Agen vs Dax, 9-8
1967: Montauban vs Bègles, 11-3
1968: Lourdes vs Toulon, 9-9 after extra time. Lourdes declared winners, scoring two tries to nil.
1969: Bègles vs Toulon, 11-9
1970: La Voulte Sportif vs Montferrand, 3-0
1971: Béziers, vs Toulon, 15-9
1972: Béziers vs Brive, 9-0
1973: Tarbes vs Dax, 18-12
1974: Béziers vs Narbonne, 16-14
1975: Béziers vs Brive, 13-12
1976: Agen vs Béziers, 13-10
1977: Béziers vs Perpignan, 12-4
1978: Béziers vs Montferrand, 31-9
1979: Narbonne vs Stade Bagnerais, 10-0
1980: Béziers vs Toulouse, 10-6
1981: Béziers vs Stade Bagnerais, 22-13
1982: Agen vs Aviron Bayonnais, 18-9
1983: Béziers vs Nice, 14-6
1984: Béziers vs Agen, 21-21 after extra time. Béziers won by scoring three tries to one.
1985: Toulouse vs Toulon, 36-22 after extra time
1986: Toulouse vs Agen, 16-6
1987: Toulon vs Racing Club de France, 15-12
1988: Agen vs Tarbes, 9-3
1989: Toulouse vs Toulon, 18-12
1990: Racing Club de France vs Agen, 22-12
1991: Bordeaux-Bordeaux vs Toulouse, 19-10
1992: Toulon vs Biarritz, 19-14
1993: Castres vs Grenoble, 14-11
1994: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 22-16
1995: Toulouse vs Castres, 31-16
1996: Toulouse vs Brive, 20-13
1997: Toulouse vs Bourgoin, 12-6
1998: Stade Français vs Perpignan, 34-7
1999: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 15-11
2000: Stade Français vs Colomiers, 28-23
2001: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 34-22
2002: Biarritz vs Agen, 25-22 after extra time.
2003: Stade Français vs Toulouse, 32-18
2004: Stade Français vs Perpignan, 38-20
2005: Biarritz vs Stade Français, 37-34 after extra time
2006: Biarritz vs Toulouse, 40-13
2007: Stade Français vs Clermont Auvergne, 23-18
2008: Toulouse vs Clermont Auvergne, 26-20
2009: Perpignan vs Clermont Auvergne, 22-13
2010: Clermont Auvergne vs Perpignan, 19-6
2012: Toulouse vs Montpellier, 15-10
