Thomas Ramos kicked three extra-time penalties to edge Leinster in a thrilling final 31-22 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after extra-time. Mathis Lebel scored the first try on 83 minutes following James Lowe’s sin-binning but Josh van der Flier hit back, only for Ramos to guide Toulouse over the line.
Dupont hit two 50:22’s, won two jackal turnover penalties on the floor and flourished once again on the big stage but the humble France skipper, who picked up his second Champions Cup medal and was awarded the competition’s player of the year, says the win was more about the team than his performance.
He said: “My (player of the year) title is not the important thing, the club has a special relationship with this competition. It was a huge pleasure to win in an environment where our fans were outnumbered. It’s awesome to be able to win with this team. The last two years have been very tough after losing semi-finals. To get our sixth star means we’re really proud of the club. I am so fortunate to be able to train and play with my teammates, it’s an awesome environment.
“This is a feeling I can’t explain. We knew this season we could go all the way and I’m delighted because this is such a hard tournament to win. There was plenty of enthusiasm from Leinster but now we have the necessary experience to not get caught up in a frenzy.
This story is from the May 26, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the May 26, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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