Vannes 7s vs Stade Toulousain 7s

Vannes entered the knockout phase as pool winners after two commanding pool-stage performances — 24-19 against Castres and 28-12 against Montpellier — that earned them top spot in their group. But Toulouse, featuring Olympic gold medallist Nelson Épée among their ranks, proved a sterner test.

The quarter-final was a tight, defensive affair with both sides cancelling each other out through regular time. With the scores locked at 5-5 after the regulation seven minutes per half, the match went to sudden death — "mort subite" — where the first team to score would win.

Toulouse found the decisive breakthrough in the extra period to edge ahead 10-5 and close out the victory, sending the red-and-blacks through to the last four.

The sudden-death period itself was the turning point. Vannes had shown resilience throughout the contest, matching Toulouse physically, but the Paris 2024 Olympic champions in the Toulouse lineup — Épée and fellow international Simon Désert — provided the composure and execution when it mattered most. Toulouse's winning score in extra time flipped a potential Vannes upset into a narrow Toulouse progression.

Nelson Épée (Stade Toulousain 7s) — The Olympic gold medallist from Paris 2024 brought his international sevens quality to the quarter-final. His experience in high-pressure moments was decisive when the match went into sudden death.

Enzo Benmegal (Vannes 7s) — The French international sevens player was instrumental in Vannes' strong pool-stage performances and kept his side competitive throughout the quarter-final. Vannes' defensive organisation, which held Toulouse to just one converted try in regular time, owed much to his leadership.

Simon Désert (Stade Toulousain 7s) — Another France 7s international in the Toulouse lineup, Désert's partnership with Épée in the back line caused Vannes defensive problems all match.

The 5-10 scoreline signals a match defined by defence rather than attack — rare in sevens where 20+ points per side is the norm. Vannes' two pool-stage wins produced 52 points (24 and 28), making the quarter-final total of 15 combined points a stark contrast. Toulouse conceded just five points across the full match duration including extra time, a testament to their scramble defence. The fact that Vannes — who averaged 26 points per match in the pools — were held to a single score shows the step up in defensive intensity in the knockout phase.

Toulouse progressed to the semi-finals where they were beaten 26-17 by Monaco, who went on to win the Biarritz stage with a 21-12 victory over Toulon in the final.

For Vannes, the quarter-final exit left them with 3 circuit points and an encouraging 6th-place finish in the Biarritz stage — a solid return for the club's first Supersevens campaign since their Top 14 promotion. They carried momentum into the second qualifying stage in Pau on 28-29 August 2026, where they would attempt to secure qualification for the grand final at the Plénitude Arena on 6-7 February 2027.

The top eight teams across the two qualifying stages (Biarritz and Pau) will advance to the Paris grand final.

A quarter-final that swung on a single moment in extra time. Vannes matched Toulouse for long stretches and proved they belong at this level, but Toulouse's big-game experience — exemplified by Olympic champion Épée — made the difference when the pressure peaked. The 5-10 scoreline understated the contest: this was a wall of a match, decided by the finest of margins.