European Club Rugby : Toulouse come through to record first competition win

According to you who was the best European player of the season?
Imanol Harinordoquy (43%)
William Servat (21%)
Other (12%)
Ronan O'Gara(8%)
Brian O'Driscoll (8%)
Vincent Clerc (5%)
Damien Traille (3%)

Toulouse come through to record first competition win

Toulouse	33 - 6	Leinster
Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse Att: 18,806
Referee: Chris White
Sunday 18th November 2007, 21:00
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Match report

Leinster were second best as Toulouse secured a comprehensive 33-6 bonus-point victory.

Four second half tries by Clement Poitrenaud, Valentin Courrent, Cedric Heymans and Vincent Clerc handed the French giants maximum points despite Leinster's valiant performance.

The Irish outfit made a promising start and led through the boot of Felipe Contepomi but were outclassed in the second period as Toulouse
scored 27 unanswered second half points.

Leinster fly-half Contepomi opened the scoring on just three minutes with a long-range penalty after English referee Chris White adjudged Toulouse were diving into a ruck off their feet.

But the home side began to dominate possession and probe the visitors defence.

Leinster were dealt a huge blow when Australian scrum-half Chris Whitaker was stretchered off after sustaining a knee injury while tackling as the first quarter came to a close.

Third-choice Cillian Willis took over but within 60 seconds, he couldn't prevent Toulouse from levelling the scores.

Elissalde calmly slotted home the penalty after Ollie Le Roux's infringement at a line-out.

Leinster's defence was nearly breached for the first time on 33 minutes when Kunavore's delightful chip and chase after a fine passing move involving Heymans and Poitrenaud was covered by the reliable Kearney.

Toulouse made their period of pressure pay when they took a deserved lead two minutes later when Courrent struck a sweet drop goal to give them a 6-3 lead.

But Leinster immediately hit back as Contepomi's second penalty from range put them firmly in the match.

Kelleher was introduced at the break in a bid to increase the home side's tempo and it had an instant impact.

The veteran Kiwi started the move on 41 minutes which reached the pacy Heymans who burst past Girvan Dempsey with consummate ease before throwing a glorious inside pass to French international Poitrenaud to score the first try of the match.

And Toulouse increased their lead to eight points eight minutes later when Courrent scored a penalty.

Leinster's task became too much when Kearney uncharacteristically saw his kick charged down by Yannick Nyanga and the flanker supplied Courrent for the simplest of scores. The fly-half converted his try to stretch the hosts lead to 21-6 before Heymans touched down after Kelleher's kick through and Clerc scrambled over in injury-time to seal the win.

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Toulouse

Leinster

Pos

Player

Pos

Clément Poitrenaud

Girvan Dempsey

Vincent Clerc

Shane Horgan

Yannick Jauzion (capt)

Brian O'Driscoll (capt)

Maleli Kunavore

Gordon D'Arcy

Cédric Heymans

Rob Kearney

Valentin Courrent

Felipe Contepomi

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde

Chris Whitaker

Daan Human

Ollie le Roux

William Servat

Bernard Jackman

Jean-Baptiste Poux

Stan Wright

Fabien Pelous

Leo Cullen

Patricio Albacete

Malcolm O'Kelly

Yannick Nyanga

Shane Jennings

Thierry Dusautoir

Keith Gleeson

Shaun Sowerby

Jamie Heaslip

Replacements

Alberto Vernet Basualdo

Brian Blaney

Omar Hasan

Juan Gomez

Romain Millo-Chluski

Cameron Jowitt

Grégory Lamboley

Kevin McLaughlin

Byron Kelleher

Cillian Willis

Florian Fritz

Christian Warner

Finau Maka

Luke Fitzgerald

Penalty Tries

First half timeline
2	Leinster	Penalty kick - F Contepomi
19	Leinster	Substitution - C Willis on for C Whitaker
22	Toulouse	Penalty kick - J Elissalde
34	Toulouse	Drop kick - V Courrent
35	Toulouse	Substitution - F Fritz on for M Kunavore
36	Leinster	Penalty kick - F Contepomi
40 +7	Toulouse	Substitution - A Vernet Basualdo on for W Servat
Second half timeline
41	Toulouse	Substitution - B Kelleher on for J Elissalde
41	Toulouse	Try - C Poitrenaud
47	Toulouse	Substitution - R Millo-Chluski on for F Pelous
48	Toulouse	Penalty kick - V Courrent
54	Toulouse	Try - V Courrent
55	Toulouse	Conversion - V Courrent
60	Leinster	Substitution - C Warner on for G D'Arcy
63	Leinster	Substitution - L Fitzgerald on for G Dempsey
65	Toulouse	Try - C Heymans
66	Toulouse	Conversion - V Courrent
66	Toulouse	Substitution - F Maka on for T Dusautoir
69	Leinster	Substitution - C Jowitt on for M O'Kelly
69	Leinster	Substitution - K McLaughlin on for K Gleeson
72	Leinster	Substitution - J Gomez on for O le Roux
72	Toulouse	Substitution - O Hasan on for J Poux
76	Leinster	Substitution - B Blaney on for B Jackman
78	Toulouse	Substitution - G Lamboley on for Y Nyanga
80 +3	Toulouse	Try - V Clerc

Results so far

Toulouse

Date	Stage	Opposition	Score
24/5/08	Final	Munster	L 13-16
26/4/08	Semi Finals	London Irish	W 21-15
6/4/08	Quarter Finals	Cardiff Blues	W 41-17
19/1/08	Pool 6	Edinburgh	W 34-10
12/1/08	Pool 6	Leinster	L 13-20
16/12/07	Pool 6	Leicester Tigers	W 22-11
8/12/07	Pool 6	Leicester Tigers	L 9-14
18/11/07	Pool 6	Leinster	W 33-6
10/11/07	Pool 6	Edinburgh	W 19-15

Leinster

Date	Stage	Opposition	Score
19/1/08	Pool 6	Leicester Tigers	L 9-25
12/1/08	Pool 6	Toulouse	W 20-13
15/12/07	Pool 6	Edinburgh	L 10-29
7/12/07	Pool 6	Edinburgh	W 28-14
18/11/07	Pool 6	Toulouse	L 6-33
10/11/07	Pool 6	Leicester Tigers	W 22-9

Previous Heineken Cup meetings

Date	Stage	Home	Score	Away
Sat 1st May 10	Semi Finals	Toulouse	26 - 16	Leinster
Sat 12th Jan 08	Pool 6	Leinster	20 - 13	Toulouse
Sun 18th Nov 07	Pool 6	Toulouse	33 - 6	Leinster
Sat 1st Apr 06	Quarter Finals	Toulouse	35 - 41	Leinster
Sun 13th Jan 02	Pool 6	Toulouse	43 - 7	Leinster
Fri 28th Sep 01	Pool 6	Leinster	40 - 10	Toulouse
Sat 11th Oct 97	Pool A	Toulouse	38 - 19	Leinster
Sat 6th Sep 97	Pool A	Leinster	25 - 34	Toulouse

Heineken CupHistory

Toulouse

2009/10 - Champions

2008/09 - Quarter Finals

2007/08 - Runners up

2006/07 - Pool 5

2005/06 - Quarter Finals

2004/05 - Champions

2003/04 - Runners up

2002/03 - Champions

2001/02 - Pool 6

2000/01 - Pool 3

1999/00 - Semi Finals

1998/99 - Quarter Finals

1997/98 - Semi Finals

1996/97 - Semi Finals

1995/96 - Champions

Leinster

2009/10 - Semi Finals

2008/09 - Champions

2007/08 - Pool 6

2006/07 - Quarter Finals

2005/06 - Semi Finals

2004/05 - Quarter Finals

2003/04 - Pool 3

2002/03 - Semi Finals

2001/02 - Quarter Finals

2000/01 - Pool 1

1999/00 - Pool 1

1998/99 - Pool A

1997/98 - Pool A

1996/97 - Pool B

1995/96 - Semi Finals

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