Clinical Toulon bite Sharks as Lund goes in the bin
IF TOULON’S defeat to Saracens last weekend was an indication of the former European champions’ waning powers then this fraught victory – built on defensive desperation rather than backline brilliance – only added weight to that suggestion.
No doubt, Sale’s Magnus Lund will be the one with the most to regret. Whether the decision to sin-bin the flanker for a no-arms charge on opposite number Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe was right or wrong, and it was certainly a debatable call, that ill-discipline allowed the visitors to build an insurmountable margin.
In those ten minutes that Lund was off the field, Toulon’s skill levels were out of the top drawer. It was as though the lesson they were handed last week had suddenly seeped through and the Sharks were unable to cope with the sheer quality that confronted them.
Tries for Charles Ollivon and Leigh Halfpenny was their reward for control, accuracy and brutality. Full-back Halfpenny added a conversion and a penalty as Toulon moved 15-0 clear to remind the hosts how clinical the top European sides can be.
From thereon, the Englishmen were stout and spirited as their opponents stuttered, but that yellow was in front of them.
With the exception of the ageless Peter Stringer, who was in inspirational form, Diamond fielded an inexperienced backline as centre Sam James made his professional debut at stand-off.
One thing particularly absent in Sale’s defeat to the Scarlets was a lack of competition at the restarts but, although that was altered on Friday night, it needed a bit more circumspection.
With James kicking short and Fernandez Lobbe mopping up comfortably, the visitors were allowed to attack at will in the first 20 minutes. Halfpenny had put Toulon ahead before a penalty from the kick-off – after Sale had illegally halted a maul – gave the three-time champions an opportunity inside the 22.
Mamuka Gorgodze battered away before Ollivon eventually broke through. Two minutes later the pattern was repeated as Halfpenny benefited from Bryan Habana’s good work to touch down.
Diamond’s team responded and, following Duane Vermeulen’s needless trip which earned him a yellow card, Mike Haley and James set up Paolo Odogwu, who sped down the left to cross unopposed.
So ended the scoring, but not the action. Will Addison was a constant menace and Diego Dominguez’s men were well aware of Odogwu’s dancing feet, but the hosts were unable to break through as Toulon went away with a muchneeded win. card effectively decided the contest.
“It was a close call,” said Sale’s director of rugby Steve Diamond. “They’ve got three sets of eyes on it but we can’t give penalties away like that week in, week out. If you do go down to 14 men at this level teams can punish you.”
Sale knew what was coming but they initially seemed overawed by what