15 for 10: Toulon - an all-decade XV
Very few teams, if any, have had a story quite like Toulon’s over the past decade. When 2010 began, the French side were only midway through their second season in the Top 14 and were beaten in the Challenge Cup final, losing to Cardiff Blues.
However, there were clear signs that the big-spending club, backed by comic book publisher Mourad Boudjellal (who recently announced he will move on next summer), were aiming for the top.
Some were sceptical that Toulon were largely building a team of retiring players that were past it. However, three years later they were winning their first of an unprecedented three consecutive European Cups, adding a Top 14 title in 2014 as well.
Ever since their glory days during the first half of the decade, Toulon have dropped off the pace somewhat. Since their 2015 triumph in Europe, they have failed to get past the quarter-finals and did not even make it out of their pool last year.
In the Top 14, they were runners-up in 2016 and 2017, but finished ninth last season, their lowest finish in the league this decade.
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They have still not relented in signing some of the biggest players in the world and are sure to bounce back from their slump in recent years. But in what has been a hugely successful decade, there are plenty of players vying to make an all-decade team.
15 – Delon Armitage
Many will argue that British and Irish Lion Leigh Halfpenny has been a better player over the past decade, but few would argue that he was better for Toulon than Armitage. The former England international was a rock at the back during his four years and starred with so many quality performers around him.
14 – Drew Mitchell
Pushed all the way by Josua Tuisova to make this position, Mitchell was another member of the contingent that joined in 2013. The former Australia international was a brilliant acquisition and his solo try in the 2015 Champions Cup final epitomised not only what a brilliant player he was throughout his career, but at Toulon as well.
Le end of an erahttps://t.co/crNdvIydn0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 2, 2019
13 – Mathieu Bastareaud
The former Stade Francais centre was vindicated for his lucrative move down south in 2011 when he won his first Heineken Cup in 2013, being named man of the match in the final. He moved on this past summer after eight great years.
12 – Matt Giteau
Although dual RWC winner Ma’a Nonu played in recent years for the club, no inside centre had a greater impact than Wallaby centurion Giteau during his six years. Wilkinson’s playmaking partner in the middle of the field, the Australian even took over at fly-half once the Englishman retired. Such was his form for Toulon that the Wallabies even introduced the Giteau Law to ensure he could play at the 2015 RWC.
11 – Bryan Habana
Although Julian Savea, one of the great wingers of world rugby over the past decade, is currently at the club, he has failed to make the impact Habana made after joining in 2013. He was another player brought in to achieve the double in 2014 – and it paid off.
It will soon be all over at Toulon for Mourad Boudjellal who has been busy reflecting on his title-winning ownership of the French clubhttps://t.co/XxsEcUwlbd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 10, 2019
10 – Jonny Wilkinson
When England’s legendary fly-half moved to Toulon in 2009, no one truly knew how long he would last after a career defined by injuries as much as the success he achieved. However, the 2003 RWC winner had five glorious years, captaining the team to the Top 14 and two European Cups. He was named European player of the year in 2013 and capped his wonderful career with a typical Wilkinson-esque performance in the 2014 Top 14 final, kicking 15 of 18 points, including a trademark drop goal.
9 – Sébastien Tillous-Borde
With the star-studded teams that Toulon have fielded over the past decade, Tillous-Borde’s name is not one that immediately jumps out, but the former France international was at the heart of all of his club’s success over the past decade in the nine shirt. Alongside Fernández Lobbe, the scrum-half remained part of the coaching team after retirement.
1 – Xavier Chiocci
While England’s Andrew Sheridan was helpful in building Toulon’s initial success, Chiocci was his successor who helped his side grow in strength. The loosehead made his debut in 2011 as a 21-year-old having come through Toulon’s academy, which goes against the reputation that his side have garnered that they simply bought their success.
2 – Guilhem Guirado
Having only joined in 2014 from Perpignan and having since moved to Montpellier, Guirado did not enjoy all of the success that some of his team-mates did, albeit he did win the Champions Cup in 2015. However, the France captain’s form for club and country has been exemplary over the past five years.
3 – Carl Hayman
The giant former All Black arrived at the Stade Mayol in 2010 and was at the forefront of all the success achieved there over the next five years. What’s more, Hayman took over from Jonny Wilkinson as captain once the Englishman retired in 2014, leading them to European glory in 2015 before retiring himself.
4 – Ali Williams
In a position that has seen the ever-reliable Mamuka Gorgodze play, South Africans Danie Rossouw and even the recent signing of Eben Etzebeth, the 2011 World Cup winner’s two-year stint between 2013-2015 helped bring the Top 14 title and two European Cups. Williams was even named the man of the match in the 2015 final.
?Le @RCTofficiel affrontera l'@ASMOfficiel le Dimanche 22 Décembre à 21h au Stade Mayol !
?Présence du Père Nöel, distribution de cadeaux et le traditionnel feu d'artifice d'après-match !?
??Places en vente dans les RCT Store et sur la billetterie??https://t.co/1PV1LB2cVe pic.twitter.com/gxVp61Tb9C
— RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) December 7, 2019
5 – Bakkies Botha
Only one player may have made a greater impact in the second row than Williams, and that is 2007 RWC winner Botha. The South African joined in 2011 and was at the epicentre of all the success on the Côte d’Azur. He was part of the exodus of players in 2015, which helps explain Toulon’s decline.
6 – Juan Smith
With a policy of recruiting great players that could be past their prime, there is always the danger that they will not perform and that certainly has happened over the years. But Smith is yet another example of a player that did not see his move to the Mediterranean coast simply as an opportunity to boost his coffers before retirement.
7 – Steffon Armitage
One of the greatest success stories over the past decade, he arrived in 2011 from London Irish as a player on the fringes of the England team with only five caps. A devastating ball-carrier and immovable over the ball, the loose forward won everything there is to win during his five years and was also named the European player of the year in 2014. Facundo Isa has proven to be sensational in recent years but is yet to reach the heights that Armitage did.
8 – Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
Fernández Lobbe complemented Armitage in the back row alongside Chris Masoe during Toulon’s halcyon days. Whether No8 or a flanker, the Argentine was always a classy operator at the back of the scrum.
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments