Toulon 32 – Wasps 18
Toulon , the 2014 European Champions and Top 14 Champions, and currently co-leaders domestically, were supposed to dominate Wasps who were in the middle of the table in the English Premiership.
But they had gone down at home against Toulouse the week before in the Top 14, not looking like champions of anything.
The visitors had not got to the European Cup finals series for eight years, but had nothing to lose and they played like contenders.
First half
Flyhalf Freddy Michalak kicked well for the corner and after a couple of surges from the lineout, centre Mathieu Bastareaud went over the goal line to score. The conversion made the tally 7-0 for the French champions after eight minutes and it looked like another French lesson would be handed out to an England team as occurred the day before.
It didn’t happen: the home team didn’t cross the chalk again in the first half, even after Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado charged diagonally into the Wasps 22 looking like a fat back, and Wasps’ 15 Rob Miller got sent to the bin for cynical play at 22 minutes for slowing the move down.
Instead Michalak slotted five penalty goals before half time and inexperienced flyhalf, Alex Losowski, kicked two for Wasps.
Toulon also racked up a number of errors, some unforced but others imposed on them by the feisty visitors. Had not Michalak been like Dead Eye Dick with his goal kicking Toulon would have looked vulnerable at the break but the lead looked comfortable and surely Toulon would pull the finger out in the second half.
Wasps were defending well but infringing too much in their own half to help themselves; and they were showing Toulon a little too much respect.
Half-time score: Toulon 22 – Wasps 6.
Freddy Michalak – was like Dead Eye Dick .
Second half
Although Toulon stuffed up a good chance there was no scoring for a while after the break, until Wasps had a lineout in the Toulon 22. They shocked the locals and their noisy fans with a move that looked routine but Toulon winger, Josua Tuisova, came inside to defend when he wasn’t needed and Will Helu saw nothing but grass in front of him.
Andy Goode who had just replaced Losowski and was to be a valuable helmsman, kicked the conversion. Wasps had the faintest of sniffs 14 minutes after the break; still behind, but now by just 13 – 22.
Matt Giteau come off the bench returning from injury and steadied things for Toulon, but it still seemed like the best plan for the French team was to throw their big scrapbooks at the Wasps. The Englanders had lifted, but Toulon finally scored in the second half when Michalak kicked another penalty goal, earned by his scrum, with twelve minutes remaining—Toulon 25-13.
But Wasps rocked them with the best move of the day with a nothing-to-lose breakout after getting turnover ball in their own 22. Joe Simpson, a scrumhalf but with a winger’s pace, scooted up the edge of the field with defenders trying to marshal him into touch but the ball went inside for Helu to go over for his second try.
It was brilliant play, but Goode dragged his conversion kick wide and the score was 25-18 to Toulon with seven minutes left. Wasps were still in this.
But Toulon got into the Wasps’ 22 and remembered who they were. When the ball was dished wide, Ali Williams, minding his own business seagulling near touch, ambled over near the corner.
Final score: Toulon 32 – Wasps 18
Wasps were fighting relegation two years ago and had done well to make the Quarter-Finals, but too much scoreboard damage was done in the first half. Toulon were aimless and often poor, and would have to do better if they were going to win their Semi-Final.
Scoring
Toulon 32 ( A.Williams, M.Bastareaud tries; F. Michalak 6 pens, 2 cons) def. Wasps 18 (W.Helu 2 tries, A. Goode con, A. Lozowski 2 pens)
Leinster – they respect nobody .
Quarter-Final wrap up
Clermont were the stars of the Quarter-Finals and although they had a lot of foreigners in their team they gave a template for the national coach Philippe Saint-André to follow, because he has the French players from the Top 14 to use it, if he picks the right ones.
The weekend after next they will play Saracens in Saint-Étienne about only 140 kms from Clermont, in the Semi-Final.
Saracens looked like they would become the fourth England team to drop out at the Quarter-Final stage but they survived thanks to a wonderful long penalty goal kicked by Marcelo Bosch from Argentina. They will have to play better than they did in Paris, but that should not be that difficult to do.
In the second Semi-Final Toulon will play Leinster at Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles. Normally you would back Toulon, who have transferred some big home games to the stadium, but Leinster is one of the recent giants of European Rugby and pay no regard to where and whom they play on the big stage.
They may not have the galactico players that Toulon have but they respect nobody.
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