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Watch: Guirado slides into retirement with his Top 14 celebration

(Photo by Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

Ex-France hooker Guilhem Guirado enjoyed a rousing send-off after playing the final match of his stellar professional career, helping Montpellier to win its first-ever Top 14 title on Friday night. Naturally enough, the French team’s post-game celebrations were raucous, everything from multiple champagne-popping moments to having a bath with the Bouclier de Brennus trophy and so on. 

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However, one 16-second video tweeted by the official Top 14 Twitter stood out. Titled ‘When Guilhem Guirado slid serenely towards retirement’, it showed the 36-year-old taking a run from one end of the Montpellier dressing room. He then slid headfirst into the Bouclier which was being held by two players at the other end of the room and let out a guttural roar. 

It was a weird celebration from Guirado in the sense that his playing career had ended earlier than anticipated on the night as he failed a head injury assessment following a 26th-minute collision with Castres captain Mathieu Babillot.

Video Spacer

King of Castres

We’re joined by the King of Castres, Rodrigo Capo Ortega, who has been at the heart of the club’s previous Top 14 triumphs over the past decade to look ahead to the final against Montpellier. We look back on the semi-finals, break down the tactical battle in the final, discuss when the Capo Ortega statue is being built and find out how close he came to leaving the club and moving to the Premiership. Plus, we chat about the Barbarians’ win over England, analyse France’s squad for the Japan tour and pick our MEATER Moment of the Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD20 at checkout for 20% off any full price item at Meater.com

Video Spacer

King of Castres

We’re joined by the King of Castres, Rodrigo Capo Ortega, who has been at the heart of the club’s previous Top 14 triumphs over the past decade to look ahead to the final against Montpellier. We look back on the semi-finals, break down the tactical battle in the final, discuss when the Capo Ortega statue is being built and find out how close he came to leaving the club and moving to the Premiership. Plus, we chat about the Barbarians’ win over England, analyse France’s squad for the Japan tour and pick our MEATER Moment of the Week…
Use the code FRENCHPOD20 at checkout for 20% off any full price item at Meater.com

Guirado was capped on 74 occasions for France between 2008 and 2019. He spent nine years at Perpignan before switching to Toulon for five years and then signed for Montpellier for the 2019/20 season that followed his retirement from Test level rugby with France. 

He was a Top 14 title winner in 2009 with Perpignan and waited 13 years to win the trophy again, this time with Montpellier who demolished Castres with a quick-fire three-try start at the Stade de France.  

Montpellier boss Philippe Saint-Andre was thrilled that Guirado had a winning farewell. “Very happy, yes. I’m also happy for Mohed Altrad. He was criticised a lot but invested a lot of his time and his money in this adventure. He had the courage to call me two years ago to get me back in the game. 

“And then, I’m obviously happy for these guys who come from different backgrounds and who form a great entity with us: there are those who are at the end of their career, like Guilhem Guirado or Fulgence Ouedraogo, those coming from Pro D2 like Alexandre Becognee or those who needed to be revived like Bastien Chalureau or Florian Verhaeghe.”

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Hellhound 12 minutes ago
Scotland's Gregor Townsend confirms Tom Jordan Glasgow exit

NZ lost a great player there. Played brilliantly for Glasgow and against SA was the best player on the pitch. Caused the Boks some headaches. Slot him into the current AB's team, and they would be very dangerous, especially broken play.


However, the Scots isn't stupid and their recruiting from the SH countries is starting to pay off. They don't have the player pool the SH countries have, nor that of their neighbours even.


I applaud them for being so open-minded as giving those players who have loyally played their rugby in Scotland for years a chance. SA for one have such a vast pool of players that's so talented and could be world class given the smallest chance, but will never get a look in because there is just so many stars in the country.


I don't mind that Saffas play for other countries to further their own careers. Besides, it makes Scotland better and makes for one more team to step up to the big stage and make rugby more exciting than just the top 4 that usually wins.


Scotland may have lost by 17 against a rusty Bok "B" team, but that score is not a true indication of that match. The Scottish biggest mistakes was kicking at goal the entire time, instead of going for the jugular. If they tried to go for tries, they may have been stopped and the score might have been bigger, but the game was on such a knife edge, that if they did go for it, they might have scored a couple of tries or more and we very well might have seen a Scottish upset.


It was by no means a bad effort at all. Tom Jordan is one of their best new talents coming through. He should've stayed with Glasgow. What a loss for the URC Champs. Going to Loftus and getting one over the Bulls is something that not even the so called best team in club rugby could do. Leinster keeps losing at Loftus. For Glasgow to do that in a Final was phenomenal and Tom Jordan was no small part of that feat.


Rugby is truely becoming a global sport now, where the eligibility rules is making rugby a much smaller world, but a much bigger global game. The Scots is most likely the team with the most aliens in their team. They welcome players with open arms. I applaud that. They are a sleeping giant, and if they continue playing like they did against the Boks, despite the results, they will become a real threat for 2027.


I admired how they played. They impressed everyone. I say good on them. Results will come if they continue on their upward trajectory. I wish them and Tom Jordan all the luck they deserve.

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