San Francisco Frontiers - La Rochelle half-backs lead fightback against Toulouse

Toulouse cruised to a 14-point half-time lead, but La Rochelle's half-backs, Antoine Hastoy and Nolann Le Garrec, scored 16 second-half points between them to drag their team to victory.

"There were a lot of imperfections in the first half but the lads showed great character to come back and get the victory," La Rochelle hooker Pierre Bourgarit told Canal Plus.

"It's easier to build on a victory than on a defeat."

La Rochelle, who brought in 11 players over the summer after their last campaign was derailed by injuries, enjoyed an early territorial edge and took the lead on 14 minutes.

La Rochelle ran a short-range free-kick and hulking 21-year-old lock Charles Kante Samba banged over.

Toulouse responded with three quick tries.

In the 17th minute, star Italian centre Tommaso Menoncello, the champions' only summer signing, raced on to a pass in his own half and slalomed past three flailing home defenders before diving over the line.

Five minutes later, the Toulouse forwards flexed their muscle, rucking the home pack backwards before lock Emmanuel Meafou bludgeoned over.

Then fly-half Romain Ntamack scampered through a gap to score.

Fullback Thomas Ramos converted all three tries and added a penalty before the break. Le Garrec kicked a conversion for La Rochelle who trailed 24-10 at half-time.

Le Garrec plunged over after prolonged home pressure, converted and then booted a penalty to cut the deficit back to four points after 55 minutes.

Ramos responded with a penalty.

When Toulouse prop Georges-Henri Colombe was yellow carded for an offence in defence, La Rochelle opted to scrum against a weakened pack. That set up fly-half Hastoy to slant through and score, before converting to tie the scores.

With eight minutes left, La Rochelle hooker Tolu Latu rammed his shoulder into face of a crouching Matthis Lebel and saw red.

Ramos missed the go-ahead penalty.

As time ran out, the depleted home team dragged themselves upfield and won a penalty. Hastoy let the final hooter sound and then booted it over for the win.

"A rather difficult opening day but we found answers and it was good to win like that," said Hastoy.

"A penalty like that rewards all the work."

Toulouse lock Thibaud Flament pointed out that after winning last year's playoff final on June 27, his team had a shortened pre-season.

"La Rochelle started the second half with more energy and desire and regained the initiative," he said. "We became spectators."

E.Cruz--SFF