"A huge joy": Mourad Boudjellal looks back on four notable RCT Top 14 semi-finals

Seven Top 14 semi-finals in eight years. There was a time, not so long ago, when the RCT had its place in the semi-finals. One man lived through them all: Mourad Boudjellal. The former president lost some of those semi-finals, yes, but he also won some. And while we tend to remember the finals or the titles, he hasn't forgotten those tense matches. With his own words, he's chosen four, which he brings back to life for us.

The most beautiful. Clermont – RCT: 12-15 in 2012.

"Qualifying for the final for the first time is a huge joy. It's the history of the club coming back to haunt you. I saw my dad again, I saw everything again... There was that last penalty from Morgan Parra, who at the time never missed anything. In the stands, the delegate said to me: "Mr. Boudjellal, time is up, if he misses, you're in the Top 14 final." I knew it, but the fact that he told me took on a very strong symbolism. I saw it go by, but it was too short. I didn't want to believe it. It was unreal in my head. I was in another dimension. I was suspended (following the declaration of "arbitrary sodomy", Ed.), but I decided to go down on the pitch. Because it was too strong."

The hardest. RCT – Clermont: 29-35 (aet) in 2010

"The first memory is the responsibility you have when you come out of the corridor and you see this wall of Toulon players. You say to yourself: "I can't let them down." And there is this fact of play, which everyone sees (a knock-on on the try of Clermont's Zirakashvili; despite the protests, the referee, Mr. Garcès, does not want to request the video, Ed.). You have the impression that there is a cabal against you... Then there is this incredible comeback. Until the last second. And there, it is the symbol of the year: we had a problem with wingers. Lovobalavu, a center who was playing on the wing, has the ball to go to the queen. He is caught by a fingernail. And a winger is not caught... But we were proud."

The craziest. RCT – La Rochelle: 18-15 in 2017

"There had often been semi-finals at the Vélodrome, but we had never managed to get there. I had fired I don't know how many coaches during the season to get there. The match is very tough. If there is no red card (against Aguillon) we do not win, because La Rochelle had taken the upper hand. Then, there is Halfpenny who goes all out. And then we have this touch from 5 meters and this drop from the young Anthony Belleau (21 years old at the time). I knew he was going to try it, so I looked at the stands. It explodes, it means he has gone through. Belleau, we had decided that he would return to Agen, but we decided to keep him because he qualified us."

The strongest. RCT – Toulouse: 24-9 in 2013

"Beating Toulouse is one thing, but doing it calmly... That's rare. Everything you've planned works. We saw that the Toulouse full-back (Poitrenaud) was very attracted to the ball. All week, we worked on shifting the ball to the left so that the full-back would follow. And at one point, Fred Michalak had to kick completely to the right. And it was Danie Rossouw, who was 2.10m tall and weighed 150kg (1.96m and 117kg in reality) , who was discreetly waiting on the wing... When Michalak released the ball, he didn't kick until Bernard Laporte raised his arms... It worked from the ^4th minute. It was textbook rugby. And then, Delon Armitage's try, which crossed the field and killed the match. With everything we had said about him... In the presidential stand, we had the impression that there was a death. So much so that she was sad that Toulouse was eliminated."