Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Kolbe recalled to start as Toulon and Lyon name cup final teams

(Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)

World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe has recovered from a broken thumb to take his place in the Toulon team for Friday’s European Challenge Cup final versus Lyon in Marseille. The Springboks winger suffered the injury in last month’s round of 16 win over Benetton on April 16. 

ADVERTISEMENT

He was operated on the following Wednesday and is now back in the Toulon line-up five weeks later for an all-French European final against an opposition they trounced 43-10 at Lyon in early April in the Top 14. Kolbe was one of the Toulon try-scorers that day and he now takes his place in an XV showing two changes from the recent semi-final win over Saracens

Kolbe comes in on the right wing for Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo, the scorer of that crucial, late solo try which eliminated the Londoners in the last round, while Julien Heriteau is at outside centre in place of Mathieu Smaili. Both Wainiqolo and Smaili are named on a bench where Raphael Lakafia and Anthony Belleau lose out from the last day.  

Video Spacer

Josh Strauss talks about the early years and why he almost quit the game at age 21

Video Spacer

Josh Strauss talks about the early years and why he almost quit the game at age 21

Lyon, meanwhile, have made just a single change to a starting XV that includes Joel Kpoku following their semi-final win over Wasps. Ex-Leicester back-rower Jordan Taufua is back to skipper the team from No8, an inclusion that sees Patrick Sobela move to openside and Beka Saginadze dropping out. On the bench, Mickael Ivaldi and Hamza Kaabeche and Colby Fainga’a are all included at the expense of Yanis Charcosset, Jerome Rey, Temo Mayanavanua. 

TOULON: 15. Aymeric Luc; 14. Cheslin Kolbe, 13. Julien Heriteau, 12. Duncan Paia’aua, 11. Gabin Villiere; 10. Louis Carbonel, 9. Baptiste Serin; 1. Jean Baptiste Gros, 2. Christopher Tolofua, 3. Beka Gigashvili, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 5. Brian Alainu’uese, 6. Cornell du Preez, 7. Charles Ollivon (capt), 8. Sergio Parisse. Reps: 16. Anthony Etrillard, 17. Bruce Devaux, 18. Emerick Setiano, 19. Swan Rebbadj, 20. Mathieu Smaili, 21. Julien Blanc, 22. Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo, 23. Facundo Isa.

Related

LYON: 15. Toby Arnold; 14. Josua Tuisova, 13. Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12. Charlie Ngatai, 11. Davit Niniashvili; 10. Leo Berdeu, 9. Baptiste Couilloud; 1. Sebastien Taofifenua, 2. Guillaume Marchand, 3. Demba Bamba, 4. Joel Kpoku, 5. Romain Taofifenua, 6. Dylan Cretin, 7. Patrick Sobela, 8. Jordan Taufua (capt). Reps: 16. Mickael Ivaldi, 17. Hamza Kaabeche, 18. Francisco Gomez Kodela, 19. Felix Lambey, 20. Loann Goujon, 21. Jean-Marc Doussain, 22. Colby Fainga’a, 23. Xavier Mignot.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 40 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Despite defeat in Paris, the real reason the All Blacks are feeling upbeat Despite defeat in Paris, the real reason the All Blacks are feeling upbeat
Search