There were emotional scenes in France over the weekend as Toulon duo Sergio Parisse and Mathieu Bastareaud bowed out from rugby in style in the final game of their careers.
The two legendary players were both given standing ovations as they left the field in the second half of their side's 35-19 win over Bordeaux-Begles in the last match of the Top 14 season. They later returned to bid farewell to the home crowd inside the Stade Mayol, with both men given a guard of honour by their teammates as they walked out onto the pitch for the final time accompanied by their families.
The moment came just a week after the French side won the Challenge Cup in Dublin, with a 43-19 rout over Glasgow handing both Parisse and Bastareaud the final piece of silverware in their glistening careers, which have seen them win a combined 192 international caps.
On what was an eventful night for Bastareaud, the centre-turned-blindside flanker scored the fourth of Toulon's five tries after being shown a yellow card earlier in the game. Moments after his try, he was substituted to rapturous applause from the crowds and handshakes and back slaps from teammates, with Parisse following suit just after the hour mark.
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The normally unshakeable Italian, 39, looked visibly emotional as he left the field after he announced he was finally calling time on his 20-year career, which has also seen him play at five World Cups.
Toulon were without Dan Biggar for Sunday night's game after the Welshman was forced off with a head injury in the opening minutes of last week's final. Nevertheless, they ended their season with a convincing win having slipped out of the Top 14 play-off places after a string of three consecutive losses.
Despite having to depart the final early, Biggar assured Wales fans that he was feeling fine as he described the first-time win for Toulon as a "huge" end to his first season at the club.
"I feel fine," he said "It is just one of those things, especially in this day and age any sort of knock you have to come off but it will be fine.This was important for us, it was huge for us as a club and the fans.
"We are fully aware we want to be competing for bigger honours but this club has never won this competition before and we have not won any silverware since 2015. It was important for us to win something and hopefully this is a good building block."
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