by Harlequins 19 Toulouse 47
From the highs of Selling and Racing 92, to the lows of Toulouse. Harlequins enjoyed a fortnight, demolishing the Premier League runners-up and thrashing the French league leaders, but it was a bridge too far when French giants Toulouse arrived in south-west London.
The hosts were hardly in it; outclassed and outmuscled Toulouse side desperate to build momentum after a modest start to their season, a period in which they were missing a whole lot of World Cup gems. Not this time, however, as the French giants managed their second bonus-point win, their second demolition, in eight days in the Champions Cup.
The stars of Toulouse were amazing. Their counter-attacking instincts are superb and Peato Mauvaka is fast approaching World XV status as a striker, while Emmanuel Meafou is extremely tough at lock. The back line broke and collapsed and Antoine Dupont, in what was likely to be his last European appearance for a while due to his Olympic bias, provided offense when needed. Thomas Ramos could not have had a more stylish game – with the ball, at least – and Pita Ahki in the middle also offered the muscular presence that allowed ambition and intelligence to thrive.
“Fifty points against Harlequins is big,” said Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola. “However, the most important thing for us was conceding 50 points against Harlequins, who always play to the end.”
Losing to Toulouse is no shame but the manner of this destruction will come as a reality check for England’s great entertainers. Second best everywhere, after two unblemished displays, Harlequins must ensure they bounce back in Bath next weekend. Such winnings, if allowed to accumulate, can be terminal. After a great two weeks as well, Marcus Smith was not at his magical best.
“We knew how big the challenge was,” said Harlequins captain Alex Dombrandt. “Sometimes you have to tip your hat – they were excellent today. Fair play to them – excellent.”
It was the score in the second half that sealed the result, Toulouse’s fifth try, as majestic as you’ll see. Blair Kinghorn appeared to be in trouble, but Ramos got him out. The scrum-half combined gracefully with Dupont, which sent the scrum half clear. Alexandre Roumat – the Toulouse No. 8 and the son of France’s great striker Olivier – supporting him, before Rodrigue Neti provided a superb scoring offload to Pierre-Louis Barassi for the second of the centre’s two tries. From there, Toulouse knew they had Harlequins on the ropes.
Until Dino Lamb was stretchered off with a serious looking neck injury, the first half was full of sparkle and fizz. Three tries in the opening 12 minutes – all three conversions – ensured he more than matched his billing.
Dupont looked to be on a tear early on – it was time to ruck and kick the ball straight out – but that didn’t stop his side quickly taking the lead. Ahki went through the heart of Harlequins midfield, with Barassi himself receiving the scoring pass.
André Esterhuizen tripped Ramos and streaked clear to level the scores, before Toulouse scored a pearler. Aki left Nick David dead, Ramos ghosted through the middle of the field and Mauvaka fed Dimitri Delibes in the corner.
When Lamb went off – Harlequins confirmed he was fine after the game – and Aki was duly yellow carded for his role in the collision, making head contact – to be relieved – with the Queensland green, obviously the game lost a lot of bounce. Toulouse’s reigning effort restored it, however, with Kinghorn offloading nicely inside Delibes, as the wing drew Tyrone Green, giving Mauvaka the scoring pass.
Dombrandt kept out a fine pop from Irne Herbst on the stroke of half-time for Harlequins – the first of two tries for the Greens – although Marcus Smith will be upset he couldn’t have done better with the conversion, meaning the hosts all down by nine at the break.
However, barely two minutes of the second half were played before that chasm was 16. Mauvaka scattered around the back of the touchline and his inside pass to Matthis Lebel could not be engineered any better, with the Toulouse speedster bite up. corner to score.
Herbst’s second goal kept Harlequins in the hunt, but Barassi’s superb second goal gave them too much of a mountain to climb. Neti’s late bludgeon and Ramos’ score in the corner completed the rout. Quins’ fantastic fortnight is well and truly over.
Data matching
Scoring sequence: 0-5 Barassi try, 0-7 Ramos con, 5-7 Esterhuizen try, 7-7 Smith con, 7-12 Delibes try, 7-14 Ramos con, 7-19 Mauvaka try, 7-21 Mauvaka con, 12- 21 Herbst try, 12-26 Lebel try, 12-28 Ramos con, 17-28 Herbst try, 19-28 Smith con, 19-33 Barassi try, 19-35 Ramos con, 19-40 Neti try, 19-42 Ramos con, 19-47 Ramos try.
Harlequins: T Green (Evans 70); N David, W Joseph, A Esterhuizen, C Murley (Bard 40); M Smith, W Porter; J Marler (Baxter 40), J Walker, W Collier (Lewis 49), J Launchbury, D Lamb (Grass 14), J Chisholm, A Dombrandt (c).
Stade Toulouse: B Kinghorn; D Delibes, PL Barassi, P Ahki (Chocobares 68), M Lebel (Cramont 69); T Ramos, A Dupont (c); C Baille (Neti 69), P Mauvaka, N Laulala (Cramong 69), R Arnold (Faasalele 68), E Meafou, F Cros, A Jelonch (Placines 68), A Roumat.
yellow card: Field 14
