Nonu, Mathewson on target as Toulon topple Bath
Former All Blacks star Ma’a Nonu helped Toulon to a home win over Todd Blackadder’s Bath to top their European Champions Cup group.
Nonu and his ex-All Black teammate Alby Mathewson got on the scoresheet in Toulon’s 24-20 Pool Five win yesterday.
Bath looked set to score an away win until some late magic from Toulon’s French international first five-eighth Anthony Belleau, who chipped ahead and regathered to score the match winner.
Nonu had grabbed Toulon’s only first half try when the former Hurricane crashed over after a deft pass from his midfield partner Mathieu Bastareaud.
Bath led 13-7 at the interval but Toulon dominated the second. With Bath’s Chris Cook in the sinbin, Mathewson pounced to score from a scrum to give Toulon the lead. But the French club’s English fullback Chris Ashton gifted his compatriots a try when he sliced a kick, allowing Jonathan Joseph to score.
Toulon pivot Francois TrinhDuc kicked a penalty and his replacement, Belleau, notched the decisive try.
Aaron Cruden came back to haunt his old Manawatu and Chiefs mentor Dave Rennie in Montpellier’s 29-22 win over the Glasgow Warriors.
Cruden set up the first of Montpellier flanker Kelian Galleter’s two tries as Montpellier - coached by Kiwi-born ex-Scotland national team coach Vern Cotter - went all out on attack.
Montpellier scored four tries to
three, including a penalty try.
Glasgow - unbeaten in the Pro 14 domestic competition - slumped to their third consecutive European loss, ruling them out of the playoffs.
Rennie was furious that hooker
George Turner conceded a ‘‘dumb’’ yellow card for an off-the-ball shoulder charge in the first half with Glasgow ahead 17-5.
‘‘We started pretty well; George’s sinbin was dumb,’’ Rennie told
‘‘Leading by 12, we should’ve had a line-out 20m out to apply more pressure and instead he ends up in the bin, and three minutes later they’ve scored.’’
Former Taranaki and Chiefs hooker Rhys Marshall kickstarted
Munster’s 33-10 win over the Leicester Tigers with the game’s first try in Limerick. Marshall, 25, also distinguished himself on defence, ripping the ball from a Tiger’s claws on Munster’s goalline in the 63rd minute.
Munster - with Ireland internationals Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo among the try-scorers - were too strong for Telusa Veainu’s Leicester, leading 23-3 at halftime.
Welsh club Scarlets - with Hadleigh Parkes and Johnny McNicholl in the backline - beat Kieran Crowley’s Benetton Treviso 33-28 in Pool Five.
Halfback Gareth Davies scored twice for Scarlets while Benetton, who had New Zealand-born Italy international Jayden Hayward at fullback, battled gamely after flanker Francesco was sent off for a tip tackle in the 23rd minute.
Former Crusaders centre Kieron Fonotia had a strong game in Ospreys’ 43-32 win over Dylan Hartley’s Northampton Saints in Pool Two.
Fonotia scored one of Ospreys’ six tries with fullback Dan Evans and wing Jeff Hassler bagging doubles.
Tongans were the tryscorers in Castres 16-13 French derby win over Racing 92 in Pool Four.
Former Counties Manukau backrower Maama Vaipulu dotted down for Castres and lock Edwin Maka reciprocated for Racing.