Carter’s kicking clinches Top title
RACING METRO TOULON 29 21 DAN Carter has helped Racing Metro to their first French Top 14 title in 26 years in his first season at the Paris club.
Carter and fellow former All Blacks star Joe Rokocoko played key roles as Racing survived for 60 minutes with 14 men to beat Toulon 29-21 in a gripping final in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday.
The 2015 World Rugby player of the year landed five penalties, including a victory-sealing kick in the dying stages, while wing Rokocoko scored a superb try as their side bounced back from defeat to English club Saracens in last month’s European Champions Cup title decider.
‘‘It’s an amazing feeling, it’s been the most special season of my life and the way we did it with 14 men,’’ said Carter, who helped the All Blacks to World Cup glory in October but limped out of the European Cup final injured.
‘‘I don’t know how we did it but I’m so relieved,’’ he added.
‘‘It’s never easy playing with 14 men. There are some pretty tired boys out there but there is a huge satisfaction in winning.’’
Seeking their first domestic title since 1990, Racing were level at 3-3 after 18 minutes when France halfback Maxime Machenaud was red carded for a tackle that crashed former Wallaby Matt Giteau into the ground head-first.
After trailing 14-12 at the break, however, the Parisians produced a magnificent display to regain control of the game.
The match was played in front of over 90,000 fans in the Barcelona football team’s Nou Camp stadium as the Stade de France was out of bounds for Euro 2016 football duty.
Wales fullback Leigh Halfpennylanded three early penalties for Toulon and when Mamuka Gorgodze charged over for the opening try to make it 14-6.
But Racing continued to attack and forced Toulon into conceding a succession of penalties that Carter and South African Johan Goosen turned into points.
Racing stretched their lead to 26-14 after an hour when Carter won a turnover and Rokocoko chipped and regathered for their only try of the match.
It was 26-21 with eight minutes left when Toulon were penalised for a scrum infringement , Racing broke downfield and forced their own penalty, which Carter slotted.