PARIS: Toulouse opened the defence of their French title by holding off a second-half rally from debutants Vannes to win 43-18 in Brittany on Sunday night. It took Toulouse four minutes to breach the defences of the Top 14 debutants from the ancient walled Breton port, when fullback Thomas Ramos touched down and then converted, briefly silencing the capacity crowd.

As the Celtic bagpipes resumed their melody, Vannes, the first Breton club in the Top 14, huffed and puffed energetically only to fumble a series of chances close to the Toulouse line. Maxime Lafage kicked two penalties for the hosts, but Ramos booted three for the visitors. Alexandre Roumat added a second Toulouse try after half an hour. Ramos converted and landed a penalty to start the second half to put Toulouse 20 points ahead. Vannes, showing surer hands nearer the Toulouse line, ruffled the champions in the last 35 minutes.

Veteran England prop Mako Vunipola barged over for the Breton club’s first top-flight try after 54 minutes. Lafage converted. Toulouse replied when Theo Ntamack sliced through the home defence to touch down and Ramos converted to restore the 20-point edge. Christiaan van der Merwe then stretched over to touch down for an unconverted Vannes try. Toulouse crushed the fightback. Pita Akhi found a gap in the home defence to scoot over with five minutes left and American prop David Ainuu earned the visitors an attacking bonus point when he scored their fifth try as time expired.

Ramos missed the last two conversions. It was the first of two visits by European Champions to Brittany this season. The continent’s champion football club, Real Madrid, will make their first competitive trip to the region when they play at Champions League debutants Brest in the final round of the competition’s league phase in January.

In Sunday’s early game, La Rochelle took just enough of their chances to beat visiting Toulon 19-15. Off the field on Sunday, Racing 92 said goodbye to one international captain, Siya Kolisi the day after another, Owen Farrell made his debut for the club as they lost their Top 14 opener. “Siya Kolisi and Racing 92 have reached an agreement to end the contract,” a club statement read. Kolisi arrived in France last year to much fanfare after the second of his World Cup wins with the Springboks. But the 33-year-old only turned out for Racing 18 times last season, scoring one try. 

His family was reportedly homesick in Paris. On Saturday in Cape Town, Kolisi scored a try in an 18-12 win, as, for the second week in a row, the Springboks came from behind to beat New Zealand in the Rugby Championship.

Meanwhile, in Castres on Saturday, former England captain Owen Farrell missed two late penalties on his debut and the home team scored in the 78th minute to inflict a 31-28 defeat on Racing on the opening day of the Top 14 season. — AFP