Montpellier secures Top 14 final spot against Toulouse

Montpellier Hérault Rugby beat Stade Français 25‑15 in the Top 14 semi‑final at the Stade Vélodrome on 20 June, earning a place in the championship final against Stade Toulousain on 27 June at the Stade de France. Fly‑half Domingo Miotti was instrumental, scoring a try, converting it and adding five penalties for a personal haul of 17 points. The win capped a season turnaround for manager Joan Caudullo, who steered the club from a relegation battle two years earlier to its fourth final appearance.

Toulouse, the defending champions, had already secured their final berth by crushing Racing 92 71‑17 in the other semi‑final. Their dominance, highlighted by multiple tries from Antoine Dupont, Peato Mauvaka and Jack Willis, makes them the favourites, a view echoed by former French international Jean‑Baptiste Élissalde, who described Toulouse as “almost unstoppable”.

Montpellier player Florian Verhaeghe said the squad will “look the champion straight in the eyes” and will try to slow Toulouse’s tempo and apply pressure in the rucks. The upcoming clash pits the league’s most prolific attack against a disciplined, defensively solid Montpellier side that limited their opponents to zero points after the first quarter of the semi‑final.