FOURT-TIME CHAMPIONS Toulouse overran Welsh side Ospreys on today with their 30-14 victory maintaining their 100% record in the pool stages with three wins from three.
Five tries gave the French champions a bonus point as well – the first time they have done that in this season’s tournament – including one from man of the match Vincent Clerc, taking his all-time try scoring record in the Cup to 34.
Toulouse have an eight point lead in their pool over Ospreys and Leicester, though, the English side can reduce that should they beat Italian’s Treviso tomorrow.
Toulouse got off to the ideal start running in two early tries, the first by French centre Florian Fritz and the second by their in-form captain Yannick Nyanga – both helped by poor Welsh defence.
Fritz burst through a gap in the opposing centres and ran it in from outside the 22 while Nyanga latched onto a poor tap back from a lineout by Ryan Jones and ran in unopposed for a 12-0 lead for the hosts.
However, the Welsh side responded well as they scored a try of their own, scrum-half and captain Samoan star Kahn Fotuali’i breaking a tackle and touching down under the posts – it was converted by Dan Biggar to leave them just five points in arrears at the break.
Terrible
Ospreys’ new signing, former All Black prop Campbell Johnstone, was being given a terrible time by his opposite number Jean-Baptiste Poux and the hosts forced a succession of scrums as they camped inside the 22 of their opponents.
Despite some terrific Ospreys defence Toulouse’s constant pressure finally paid off as Clerc – who scored a hat-trick of tries when the two sides last met eight years ago – went over in the corner after good work by Louis Picamoles for his 34th try in his 69th European Cup appearance.
Luke McAlister missed the conversion to leave the hosts 17-7 ahead with 20 minutes remaining but Census Johnston extended their lead when he barrelled over in the corner after being set up by Picamoles for his first try of the season.
Replacement Jean-Marc Doussain – who had replaced McAlister – missed the conversion but France back Yoann Huget rounded off the hosts’ scoring with their fifth try just over five minutes from time to round off a convincing victory – the visitors grabbed a late consolation try to lend a more respectable hue to the final score.
Welsh woe
Another Welsh side Scarlets also went down to defeat as English side Exeter – enjoying their maiden season in the competition – won 22-16 in Wales to move third in the pool and leave the hosts with just a point to their name.
An early Haydin Thomas try helped the visitors to a lead after just five minutes and they would not give up the advantage throughout the encounter.
Ulster-born fly-half Gareth Steenson added three penalties against Rhys Priestland’s two before the sides went in to the half-time break with the score 6-16.
The Grand Slam winning number 10 was stretchered off shortly after the break and replaced by Aled Thomas. Minutes after his departure, Steenson stretched the visitors lead to thirteen points.
Thomas would reduced the deficit by three at the other end before the Scarlets pack forced a 66th minute penalty try.
Despite their lead being whittled down to six points, though, the Chiefs never wavered and viscously protected their 16-22 advantage for the final 14 minutes.
The result leaves Exeter in third place in Pool 5, three behind Leinster who meet top-placed Clermont tomorrow.
Job done
In Italy, Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins pulled away from Zebre with a magnificent 40-point second half performance.
The result sees them extend their Pool 3 lead over Connacht to six points with a second meeting against the Italian new boys still to come next week.
The Premiership side led 17-7 at half time after a brace from Sam Smith. The home side hit back with Leonardo Sarto’s touchdown coming despite the Pro12 outfit being down to 14 men with Mauro Bergamasco in the sin-bin.
Nick Easter cross for ‘Quins third try of the game after half time and the bonus point was made safe with a penalty try after 56 minutes.
31 points ahead, Quins never looked back and brought the try tally to eight with another penalty try mixed in amongst scores from Matt Hooper, Rob Buchanen and Ben Botica. The last of which immediately cancelled out Alberto Chillon’s consolation score in the 74th minute.
Additional reporting by Sean Farrell
