Weekend Results
Toulouse 28 – 20 Montpellier
Top 14 Final, Stade de France. Storm delay. Fourth straight title for Toulouse, a first in the professional era.
Wales 33 – 31 Barbarians
Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. George North's farewell. Dan Edwards brace. Nations Championship warm-up.
Top 14 Final: Toulouse Make History
Toulouse 28-20 Montpellier: Toulouse became the first club in the professional era to win four consecutive Top 14 titles, defeating Montpellier 28-20 at the Stade de France to claim their 25th Bouclier de Brennus. Hooker Peato Mauvaka scored twice, either side of an Antoine Dupont try, as Toulouse raced into a commanding 25-6 half-time lead. Romain Ntamack converted one of the three tries and added two penalties. Montpellier hit back after the break through Justo Piccardo and, following a lightning delay that suspended play, a second try from Leo Coly, but two squandered five-metre lineouts in the closing 15 minutes proved costly. Jack Willis produced a near-flawless display with five jackals, captaining Toulouse to the title.
LIPPY'S VIEW
Peato Mauvaka's performance was unreal. Billy Vunipola versus Jack Willis was a fascinating battle of two different styles, and my punditry call from last week was right on target, but the game was much closer than I anticipated. Toulouse's defense was stifling for long periods. Toulouse's fourth title in a row is remarkable, and it ended up being on a knife's edge with Toulouse just squeaking out the win, 28-20. I would love to see Toulouse play the Hurricanes; that would be an absolute cracker!
Wales 33-31 Barbarians: A Fitting Farewell for George North
Wales 33-31 Barbarians: Wales won back-to-back matches for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, edging a thrilling contest against an invitational Barbarians side at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in front of 20,000 spectators. Outside-half Dan Edwards scored two tries and converted both as Wales led 14-5 at the break, with Kieran Hardy opening the scoring from a quick tap. Reuben Morgan-Williams and Ellis Mee added further tries for Wales. The Barbarians, captained by Faf de Klerk and missing several frontline players due to the fixture falling outside World Rugby's official window, fought back through Vincent Koch and Alex Nankivell. The contest belonged emotionally to George North, who came off the bench to score a try double in the final match of his 16-year, 121-cap international career before retirement. Aaron Wainwright was named player of the match for Wales. The result serves as a confidence boost for Steve Tandy's side ahead of their Nations Championship opener against Fiji in Cardiff next weekend.
LIPPY'S VIEW
George North's first touch as a Barbarian against his old team set the tone for a fairytale ending to his professional career. Two tries in his final match. Wales were exposed in defense, with the Baa-Baas breaking the gain line on virtually every carry. Alex Nankivell was the standout in both Baa-Baas matches. Fiji will do well to expose that same weakness and force Wales into a lot of midfield tackles, and to play a high tempo game, which is exactly what exposed Wales' defensive cohesion here. 33-31 is not a good result for Wales heading into the Nations Championship.
Junior World Championship: Day One in Georgia
The World Rugby Junior World Championship got underway in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, with an expanded 16-team field competing for the first time since 2009. Defending champions South Africa set the tone with a 104-7 demolition of Uruguay, while several other results were equally one-sided. The closer contests went to Italy versus Scotland, England versus Ireland, and the host nation's dramatic finish against Wales.
South Africa 104-7 Uruguay (Pool A): A complete mismatch from the opening whistle, with the defending champions racking up 16 tries against a Uruguay side making its first appearance at this level since 2009.
Wales 25-24 Georgia (Pool A): The match of the day. Wales were reduced to 13 men late on after two red cards but held off a fierce Georgian comeback in the final minutes to escape with the narrowest of wins in front of a vocal home crowd.
New Zealand 38-21 Japan (Pool B): A contest that was level at half-time before New Zealand pulled clear in the second half. The match was abandoned in the final minutes after a lightning suspension, with the score confirmed as final under tournament rules.
Scotland 36-10 Italy (Pool B): Six tries to two. Italy stayed in touch until half-time but could not match Scotland's intensity after the break.
England 34-27 Ireland (Pool C): Ireland led by 12 points early, but two yellow cards in quick succession let England in for 24 unanswered points before half-time, and the damage proved decisive.
Argentina 78-14 USA (Pool C): A heavy defeat in the USA's return to the tournament after 13 years away.
France 33-0 (half-time) Fiji (Pool D): Total domination from the reigning U20 Six Nations champions, who were already out of sight by the break.
Australia 90-22 Spain (Pool D): A one-sided scoreline despite a spirited Spanish fightback in the second half.
LIPPY'S VIEW
The Junior World Championship is a wonderful window into the underlying strength and depth of these countries. This is where the top players in the world have made their name. The skills on display in Georgia are sublime and an amazing preview of the remarkable players who will be wearing their national team colors in years to come.
Around the Grounds: What the Pundits Are Saying
Du'Plessis Kirifi left out of Dave Rennie's first All Blacks squad: The Hurricanes co-captain, fresh off lifting the Super Rugby Pacific trophy after his side's record 60-5 win over the Chiefs, was a notable omission from the 34-man squad named for the Nations Championship tests against France, Italy and Ireland. Former All Blacks James Parsons and Jeff Wilson both expressed shock at the decision, with Parsons saying Kirifi could not have done any more to earn selection given his form and leadership this season. The reasoning appears to centre on team balance: Rennie's six loose forwards (Ardie Savea, Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson and the uncapped Anton Segner) all offer multi-positional cover, whereas Kirifi is a specialist openside. With Savea, the new captain, expected to play the full 80 minutes at number seven, the door for a specialist seven on the bench appears to have closed. Assistant coach Mike Blair said Kirifi was simply a victim of depth at the position and is expected to be included in the extended squad for the South Africa tour in August and September. Rennie personally informed Kirifi of the decision.
Nations Championship: Round 1 preview, July 4: The inaugural Nations Championship kicks off next weekend with all six Round 1 fixtures played across a single day. New Zealand host France at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch in the standout fixture of the round, marking the opening test of Dave Rennie's tenure as All Blacks coach. Japan host Italy in Tokyo, Australia host Ireland in Sydney, and Fiji host Wales in Cardiff (a neutral venue for Fiji as part of the tournament structure). South Africa host England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in a rematch of two heavyweights, and Argentina host Scotland in Cordoba. The new competition pits the Southern Hemisphere SANZAAR nations plus Japan and Fiji against the Six Nations sides across six rounds in July and November, culminating in a Finals Weekend at Twickenham in late November.
LIPPY'S VIEW
I am so excited for the international season to start next weekend. After watching the top club competitions in the world and seeing all these players stake a claim for their national teams, we now get to sit back and revel in potentially the most competitive time in rugby ever. So many teams that can beat another on any given day. Of course, all eyes are going to be on the Springboks, All Blacks, France, England, and Ireland, but watch out for Ireland, Fiji, and Scotland, who can be very dangerous on their day.
Looking Ahead
Saturday July 4: Nations Championship Round 1. New Zealand vs France, Christchurch; Japan vs Italy, Tokyo; Australia vs Ireland, Sydney; Fiji vs Wales, Cardiff; South Africa vs England, Johannesburg; Argentina vs Scotland, Cordoba.
Thursday July 2: Junior World Championship Round 2 fixtures continue in Tbilisi and Kutaisi.