La Rochelle's turnaround halfback pairing, Menoncello's fury and Toulouse's lifeless second half: The highs and lows of the clash

La Rochelle overturned Toulouse 30-27 at Marcel-Deflandre, and the match offered plenty for the editorial team to praise and criticize. The opening round of the Top 14 produced a dramatic contest, with the defending champions unable to sustain their first-half authority.

La Rochelle's halfback pairing won the night's decisive duel. Nolann Le Garrec again impressed, scoring his team's try of hope shortly before the hour mark and adding points with his boot. He has now scored eight tries in his last nine Top 14 matches.

Antoine Hastoy, quieter for much of the match, emerged at exactly the right moment. He scored early in the final quarter to bring La Rochelle level with Toulouse, then kicked the winning penalty between the posts on the final whistle.

Toulouse still had outstanding individual performances. Tommaso Menoncello needed only 15 minutes of his Top 14 debut for the club to tear through La Rochelle's defense and score in the 17th minute. His power, explosiveness and speed were on full display, even though he became less prominent after halftime as Toulouse lost intensity.

Romain Ntamack also continued the strong form he showed at the end of last season. The Toulouse fly-half scored after half an hour and remained accurate and effective throughout. But Toulouse's second half lacked life, allowing La Rochelle to complete its comeback.