In-form Toulon
continued their remarkable season as Jonny Wilkinson's
14-point haul guided them to a 19-12 away win at Connacht in
Friday's ACC semi-final.
It was an the cash-rich
French club's 11th straight win and means they will now play
either London Wasps or Cardiff Blues at Marseille's Stade
Vélodrome in the final on May 23. Marseille is a mere Wilko
kick from Toulon, and indeed, the Cote d'Azur club know the
ground well after hosting Top 14 matches there against both
Stade Toulousain and Perpignan this season.
A fanatical sell-out
crowd is ensured as Philippe Saint-André's team aim to cap
his remarkable first season with European glory. They also
have the small matter of a Top 14 semi-final to come as the
season reaches an unbelievable climax.
Friday's victory -
which also featured a try from Aussie centre Mafileo Kefu -
also continues a superb season for French rugby generally,
following on from the national team's Grand Slam. All it
needs now is for Biarritz and Stade Toulousain to win their
respective Heineken Cup semi-finals!
Amlin Challenge Cup - Pool results
and tables
Wilkinson's boot was
Toulon's most productive weapon against a dogged Connacht on
Friday night, with the home side making the French team
fight every inch for their semi-final success.
The visitors started
off in positive fashion and tried running the ball
initially, but Connacht's defence proved stubborn, forcing
Toulon into the kicking option as they sought to turn their
possession into points. Wilkinson proved just the man for
the job, with the World Cup winning fly-half landing three
penalties and a drop-goal as he sought to progress through
to his maiden European final at the fourth time of asking.
But the game's decisive
passage of play came right at the end of the first half as
Toulon's heavyweight pack put Connacht's under extreme
pressure with a series of 5m scrums. The significance of the
outcome increased with each reset - there were nine in total
- and the entire process eventually extended the first half
by a full 10 minutes, with a penalty try appearing
inevitable before Toulon finally spun the ball to send Kefu
over for the game's only try.
Wilkinson calmly landed the conversion to give Toulon a 19-9
half-time lead, and although Connacht narrowed that gap back
to seven with Ian Keatley's fourth penalty success (early in
the second half) the visitors held out to claim the win.
Their defence stood
firm in the face of Connacht's determined efforts for a
score-equalling try, with the home crowd roaring their team
on with ever-increasing desperation as the clock ticked down
at the Galway Sportsground. Hooker Sean Cronin was twice
denied close in, but ultimately it was another deserved win
from the French side, and keeps alive their hopes of pulling
off a domestic and European double.
The only downside for
Wilkinson, and Toulon, was the sight of their cherished
fly-half going off midway through the second period with a
neck injury, prompting Tom May to switch from the centres
and allowing the introduction of Sonny Bill Williams.
"It was tough,"
admitted Saint-André afterwards. "We created three or four
opportunities which we didn't finish, but I think our
defence was good and the commitment of the team was
fantastic.
"I am very pleased for
the guys, but we should have scored two or three tries in
the first 20 minutes, as we created so many opportunities.
We just didn't finish them. In the end it was very tough,
but we have won 11 games consecutively and this is very good
for the confidence and trust of my team," he added.
Connacht coach Michael
Bradley praised his team's "magnificent effort" but admitted
that "the quality of the opposition shone through in the
end".
Teams:
Connacht: Duffy; Nathan (Tuohy 20), Ta'auso, Wynne,
Carr; Keatley (Nikora 56), F Murphy (O'Loughlin 69),
Wilkinson (Loughney 49), Cronin, Hagan (Morris 40), Swift
(Upton 60), McCarthy (McComish 68), Muldoon, Naoupu,
O'Connor
Pens: Keatley (4)
Toulon: Rooney; Lovobalavu, Kefu, May, Marienval;
Wilkinson (Williams 59), Henjak (Mignoni 68); Taumoepeau
(Basteres 64), Fitzgerald (Bruno 55), Lea'aetoa (Ryan 64),
Suta, Lozada (Chesney 64), Van Niekerk, Fernandez Lobbe,
Sourice (Missoup 55)
Try: Kefu
Conv: Wilkinson
Pens: Wilkinson (3)
Drop-goal: Wilkinson
Attendance:
8,000
