Heineken Cup Review - Saracens 16 - 17 Toulouse

All kings must fall.  Toulouse, more than any other European side, will know that sentiment.  So long they were at the top table of Europe, crowning their dominance with a then record 4 Championships, but recently they have been forced to watch as the crown passed on to Leinster – and now there is every threat it may move on, sickeningly, to fierce rivals, Toulon.  But when the king falls, there is inevitably a clamour for the crown – and this year, Saracens have well and truly put their hand up.  It was just one of many reasons why this was such an intriguing fixture – the grizzled pedigree of Toulouse taking on the young pretenders to the throne, Saracens.  That and the fact the match was to be a showdown between two packs the size of a small herd of elephants in front of a Wembley crowd of 61,000.

And after a tentative start by both sides, where inside centre-cum-fly half Luke McAlister was off target with a long-range penalty, it then looked as if the record crowd could be in for a real treat, as Saracens roared into the lead early on with a well taken try.  A loose pass by McAlister, who was to have a poor game, was picked off by the Saracens' backline and Chris Wyles and Chris Ashton combined beautifully to send the former over for the game's opening score on just 8 minutes.  Nigel Owens checked for a forward pass, was satisfied and, following Owen Farrell's conversion, the hosts had themselves a 7 – 0 lead.

Saracens, this year, have been all about power – crashing through opponents with relish and using the momentum to unleash David Strettle and a rejuvenated Ashton on back-peddling defences.  It was, however, a taste of their own medicine in the exchanges following the try, as Toulouse demonstrated their pedigree by unleashing a potent mix of power and pace from all over the pitch.  At the heart of it all was the man keeping the revered Louis Picamoles out of the side, Gillian Galan.  The young number 8 may have a face like a podgy 13 year old, but his physique and raw power saw him barrelling through tackles and offloading with exquisite deftness to put the French side firmly on the front foot early on. 

The one thing that Sarries did have in their favour though, was an exceptional cover defence and the form of McAlister's boot, which missed two penalties in quick succession following infringements by the penalty machine that is Matt Stevens.  There was only so long though that the hosts could get away with their ill-discipline though, and when Strettle was adjudged to have tackled Yoann Huget without the ball, the England winger was sent to the sin-bin.  It's difficult enough to hold out Toulouse with a full side, but with 14 players the task became much harder – and the visitors took full advantage with an unstoppable rolling maul which resulted in hooker Christopher Tolofua crashing over for a score.  Scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain, now kicking for the Frenchmen, converted to level the scores.

Saracens, to their credit though, began to gain parity in the tight exchanges, with Mako Vunipola, Jacques Burger and Alistair Hargreaves providing much needed shunt on the carry, although Mako's brother, Billy, was finding it difficult to make yards – largely thanks to the fact he carries far too upright.  It earned Sarries 3 attempts on goal, of which Farrell converted 2, and the first half ended with the hosts in command at 13 – 7 and the beleaguered McAlister leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

Toulouse, recognising that they were beginning to come off second-best in the forward battle, despite the thunderous presence of Galan, tried to mix things up by making changes to the pack at half time – including the introduction of veteran Guthro Steenkamp – but it made little difference as the hosts ramped up the intensity.  Billy Vunipola finally found his stride and began to make noticeable yardage as Saracens dominated the opening 10 minutes, with Toulouse making 34 tackles to Sarries' 2.  However, they were unable to take advantage and cross the line, despite Ashton coming close with a smart chip and chase, but their scrum was starting to get on top and it resulted in a penalty for Farrell, allowing the men in black to stretch out to a 9 point lead.

The pendulum, though, began to swing as the French side showed their experience in clawing their way back into the match, with French number 8 Louis Picamoles introduced to prove a point.  With Maxime Medard and Yoann Huget looking dangerous, the French side threw wave after wave of attack onto the hosts, who had the impressive Farrell to thank after two pieces of superb defence – including one turnover.  Despite the French becoming increasingly dominant though, Saracens were still sitting on a 9 point cushion going into the final quarter.

That wasn't too last, though.  After Doussain had pulled 3 points back, Rhys Gill was turned over in midfield and Toulouse kicked ahead, with a Huget tackle forcing Wyles to ground the ball behind his line after he had carried it over.  From the resulting scrum, Picamoles picked up and powered his way over the line from 5 metres to make a powerful statement both in the match and for his international credentials.  Doussain hit the conversion and, from nowhere, the French side had a 1 point lead with 10 minutes to go.

But the Londoners aren't favourites for the Aviva Premiership for nothing, and they began hammering straight back.  It summed up the game – it wasn't pretty, but you couldn't take your eyes off it.  Farrell had a chance to take the lead with a 55 metre penalty which proved just out of his range, before Kelly Brown made a superb break to set the England fly half up for a drop goal attempt with the last play of the game.  61,000 fans held their breath as Neil De Kock flung the pass back…and 55,000 groaned as a Toulon finger took the sting out of the kick and the ball fell agonisingly short.  The stadium, rocking before then, seemed bizarrely subdued as Toulouse celebrated a 17 – 16 win after an enthralling encounter.

It was a hugely significant win, not just in the context of the group, and not just in the context of the view that the French sides can't win away from home.  This was important to the very legacy of the tournament, should it not continue next year.  It looks like the old kings of Europe aren't ready to forget about their crown just yet.

What else was happening in the Heineken Cup over the weekend?

Pool 1:  Leinster picked up a gritty 19 – 7 win over the reigning Top 14 Champions, Castres, whilst Northampton gave Ospreys a mountain to climb with a 27 – 16 win over the Welsh outfit, despite not securing a bonus point.

Pool 2:  Cardiff Blues produced the shock of the round as they came out 19 – 15 winners at home against the reigning champions, Toulon.  Glasgow Warriors also picked up their first win with a hard-fought 20 – 16 win over the Exeter Chiefs.

Pool 3:  In the other game in pool 3, Zebre were disappointing as they were turned over 6 – 33 by a physical and clinical Connacht side.

Pool 4:  Scarlets and Racing Metro played out a dramatic and entertaining 26 – 26 draw at Parc Y Scarlets, whilst Clermont Auvergne overcame Harlequins 23 – 16 despite a dogged display by the Londoners.

Pool 5:  Leicester Tigers left it late to secure a bonus point win over Treviso, running out 34 – 3 winners at Welford Road.  Ulster, on the other hand, put in a magnificent display against Montpellier in France to win 8 – 25 and throw the group wide open.

Pool 6:  Munster overcame a gritty Gloucester side to run out 26 – 10 winners at Thomond Park, whilst Perpignan were too strong at home against Edinburgh, comfortably winning 31 – 14.