Top 14 final: the Trois Glorieuses (1909, 1969, 1991) of the Girondin clubs against Stade Toulouse

Les Béglais, qui fêtent leur titre de 1991. TEAMSHOOT TEAMSHOOT – Desthomas Rene

The Girondin clubs, historical betes noire of Toulouse.

If Toulouse remains the reference in terms of play and results in French rugby with its twenty-two Brennus Shields, it never had the last word when it came across Girondin clubs in championship final. This is a rare enough fact to be highlighted.

With the great Béziers (defeat in 1980) and Biarritz (defeat in 2006, victory in the Champions Cup in 2010), against whom the Toulousains have never won a final of the French championship, the Gironde capital can be proud of having been victorious three times against the Haut-Garonnais during the three previous finals played between the two camps.

1909: the reference of the Stade bordelais

Their first opposition was held on April 4, 1909 at the Stade des Ponts Jumeaux in the Ville Rose which hosted for the occasion its first championship final. Opposed to the Stade bordelais, referenced at the time with already five titles in its showcase, the Toulousains of the winger "Toto" Pujol and doctor Pierre Mounicq cracked after the break and conceded five tries – the try was then worth three points – and a very clear defeat (17-0).

1969: Jean Trillo offers the title to CA Bègles

To find the two main cities of the South-West together in the final, we had to wait sixty years and the 1969 edition. The two teams were not the most popular at the time: the Stade's previous title dates back to 1947 while its Gironde opponent, CA Bègles, failed in the final two years earlier, in 1967 at home, at Parc Lescure in Bordeaux, against Montauban.

This final takes place at the Gerland stadium in Lyon – in the name of a rotation decided by the French Federation between the three poles Bordeaux, Toulouse and Lyon – and sees the checkered club win (11-9) ahead of the Rouge et Noir of Pierre Villepreux thanks to a try from Jean Trillo and the boot of Jacques Crampagne.

1991: the reign of the "Rapetous"

But contemporary followers especially remember the 1991 final at the Parc des Princes, media and legendary, with a real opposition of styles. The Bordeaux-Bègles-Gironde CA of President André Moga – which will give its name to the Bègles stadium – led by the famous "Rapetous" and their ball at zero, Serge Simon, Vincent Moscato and Philippe Gimbert, with Bernard Laporte as captain, surprise the Toulouse residents (19-10) who collect titles again.

"I know the story of this title from 1991", said Yannick Bru, manager, on Saturday evening of the UBB who spent fifteen years in Toulouse as a hooker then as a forward coach. "I know the improbable tests for the CABBG with a screwed (pass) from Vincent Moscato from left to right which allows Sébastien Conchy to make an "offload" (pass after contact) for Michel Courtiols who can score. This is the essay that struck me."

This 1991 final also remained in history for the advent of "the famous "Béglaise turtle"& ;nbsp;which has produced lots of little ones and which has become, today, a fairly classic phase of play", recalls former pillar Serge Simon. Soon the four pass ?