Harlequins pushed Toulouse within the second half however finally the five-time Investec Champions Cup winners proved too sturdy and reached the ultimate in opposition to Leinster.
For a stage across the hour mark, the momentum appeared with Quins having decreased the half-time deficit from 19 to five, however Jack Walker’s yellow card was instantly punished with Juan Cruz Mallia’s strive making a lead the guests by no means regarded like breaching.
The match started in exhilarating style with the edges matching one another strive for strive as Marcus Smith equalised Matthis Lebel’s strive after which Peato Mauvaka and Will Evans each scored after drives from a line out.
The sport was damaged open as a Chandler Cunningham-Southerror allowed Thiabud Flament to run in and rating earlier than, predictably, Antoine Dupont put his mark on the match with two tries following up his team-mates near the road, giving his facet an enormous advatntage.
This Quins facet has proven all through their history-making Champions Cup marketing campaign they won’t give in, however tries from Cadan Murley and Tyrone Inexperienced introduced them inside touching distance.
Speaking Level – Quins really feel hard-done by with yellow card
Toulouse have been the higher facet, however there was a second the place they’ll really feel the match may have swung.
Andre Esterhuizen was tackled by Romain Ntamack and there appeared head on head contact which may have resulted within the French facet being with out a key man for 10 minutes.
A couple of minutes later, Jack Walker flew right into a ruck and clashed heads with Dupont and noticed yellow. Whereas this choice may have been accepted by itself, the non-award of even a penalty the opposite means will trigger loads of debate.
Insult was then turned to harm as Toulouse, as they have an inclination to do, took full benefit and scored the final strive of the sport by means of Mallia.
Participant of the Match – Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins)
Whereas Toulouse finally proved the higher facet, just a few Quins have been significantly unfortunate to be on the dropping facet, Tyrone Inexperienced was definitely on this class. However nobody beat as many opposing gamers nor created as many turnovers because the South African which is a feather in his cap.
Participant Scores
Toulouse: Kinghorn 7, Mallia 7, Costes 7, Ahki 7, Lebel 6, Ntamack 7, Dupont 8*; Baille 6, Mauvaka 7, Aldegheri 6, Flament 7, Meafou 6, Cros 7, Willis 6, Roumat 6.
Subs: Marchand 6, Neti 6, Merkler 6, Arnold 6, Ramos 6.
Harlequins: Inexperienced 8, Lynagh 6, Northmore 6, Esterhuizen 8*, Murley 7, Smith 7, Care 6; Baxter 7, Walker 6, Collier 6, Herbst 6, Lewies 6, Cunningham-South 6, Evans 7, Dombrandt 7.
Subs: Riley 6, Marler 5, Kerrod 6, Porter 6, Evans 6, Beard 6.
Match Highlights
5′ TRY! TOULOUSE (LEBEL) 5-0 HARLEQUINS! Quins lose their line out and the ball is flipped out to the left wing the place Lebel dives in for a strive.
15′ TRY! TOULOUSE 5-5 HARLEQUINS (SMITH) Dombrandt was inches from the road then recycled the ball and Care threw proper to Smith who shrugged off a deal with to the touch down.
19′ TRY! TOULOUSE 10-7 HARLEQUINS Not even barely nefarious strategies may cease Toulouse from driving over the road and Mauvaka touches down. The referee checked with the TMO who may clearly see the a strive.
25′ TRY! HARLEQUINS (EVANS) 12-12 TOULOUSE Toulouse thought the road out ought to have been theirs however a 50:22 was awarded and Harlequins simply relentlessly drove over the road. Evans the person touching down.
27′ TRY! TOULOUSE (FLAMENT) 17-12 HARLEQUINS A present. Care’s move was barely broad of Cunningham-South who misplaced the ball and Flament grabbed the ball and ran in to the touch down.
33′ TRY! TOULOUSE (DUPONT) 22-12 HARLEQUINS An overthrown line out noticed Toulouse flip the ball over after which Toulouse pressed their tremendous turbo button and in moments Costes broke free over the midway line and kicked ahead, Kinghorn gathered the ball simply in need of the road and Dupont dived over.
37′ TRY! TOULOUSE (DUPONT) 29-12 HARLEQUINS Exhilarating rugby from Toulouse, after plenty of phases backward and forward. Mauvaka raced in direction of the road and though he was stopped simply brief, as all the time, Dupont was thee to help and dived over the road from a metre out as soon as extra.
46′ TRY! TOULOUSE 31-17 HARLEQUINS (MURLEY) They acquire a line out 5 metres from the road and with the French facet giving freely a penalty within the maul, with the benefit Esterhuizen drives near the road after which the ball is flung broad to Murley who simply touches in by the touchline.
54′ TRY! TOULOUSE 31-24 HARLEQUINS (GREEN) Inexperienced created the attacking momentum operating by means of the center, earlier than offloading to Lynagh. Then Murley raced ten metres from the Toulouse line and because the ball got here out once more Inexperienced was there to interrupt the road and run beneath the posts.
69′ TRY! TOULOUSE (MALLIA) 36-26 HARLEQUINS Immediately Toulouse make Harlequins pay. It was possibly unfold broad a bit early however the winger dived between two challenges which left him a metre brief, however he was fast to leap up and over the road.
Key Stat
- 1 – Regardless of Toulouse and Leinster being the 2 most profitable sides within the 38-year historical past of the competitors, that is the primary time they met within the last.
