Toulon too strong as Saracens crash out
SARACENS’ bid for more European silverware ended in despair as a brace of tries from the incredible Gabin Villiere helped send them crashing to defeat at the Stade Felix Mayol.
French wing Villiere was too hot to handle on a night which saw the Mark McCall's men come up short in the Challenge Cup semi-final and leave Toulon setting up an allFrance Challenge Cup Final against Lyon in Marseille in 12 days’ time.
It promised to be a battle between two European giants more used to crossing swords in the Heineken Champions Cup - having won that competition six times between them between 2013 and 2019.
Sarries had Mako Vunipola fit again following his long ankle injury absence but the Premiership side found themselves trailing 15-13 at half-time. Toulon struck the first blow, even if there was more than a hint of a knock on early in the build up which referee Andrew Brace failed to spot.
That allowed Louis Carbonel to burst down the left wing and Toulon’s black jerseys to flood forward. The ball was moved right and then left before reaching wing Gabin Villiere who dived over for a spectacular one-handed finish when he really only needed to stroll home. Carbonel added the extras and it was hardly the start Mark McCall would have wanted from his troops.
Owen Farrell kicked the visitors’ first points from a penalty given for Duncan Paiai'aua jumping into Alex Goode after he had
cleared the ball up field and knocking the ball back to the ground. Farrell’s next kick for goal resulted in a try. His long range effort struck the left post. Charles Ollivon gave scrum-half Baptiste Serin the ball to lump up field but the outstanding Earl was alert to the move, and the flanker blocked the kick and raced through to for a fine opportunist try. Farrell converted
Sarries lost the in-form Max Malins to injury moments later with Alex
Lozowski entering the fray and Elliot Daly switching to the left wing.
Veteran Sergio Parisse incurred the referee’s disapproval for collapsing a maul while Farrell kicked a second penalty when the lock Eben Etzebeth was penalised at a line-out. Sarries had quickly asserted themselves from their slow start but the tide turned again before the break as firstly Carbonel lifted his side with a penalty as the visitors’ collapsed a scrum. And then, just a minute before the break, a swift and impressive Toulon attack finished with Villiere again swandiving across for his second try.
Daly’s long range penalty at the start of the second half drifted wide of the posts while Jamie George’s line-out throwing became even further off the mark. Two successive throws failed badly to find their targets, and put his side under fierce pressure. Carbonel extended the lead with three more points when the outstanding Villiere produced another turnover at a ruck.
Farrell reduced the deficit with a kick from a scrum penalty but Sarries’ were left stunned by a remarkable try from Jiuta Wainiqolo. The Fijian received the ball on the right, and set off on an incredible weaving run which saw him slice his way through the defence and over for the line. Carbonel converted and the visitors’ trailed by nine points with 20 minutes remaining.
The London side threw everything they had at their rivals in a bid to fight back into the contest. But time and again came up short with determined Toulon defending keeping Sarries at bay.
TEAMS
TOULON: Luc 7; Wainiqolo 7, Smaili 6 (Belleau 77, 6), Paiai’aua 6, Villiere 8; Carbonel 8, Serin 7 (Blanc 75, 6); Gros 6 (Devaux 70, 6), Tolofua 6 (Etrillard 70, 6), Gigashvili 7 (Setiano 70, 6); Etzebeth 8, Alainu’uese 7 (Rebbadj 57, 6); Du Preez 7 (Lakafia 70, 6), Ollivon (c) 7, Parisse 7 (Isa 57, 6) SARACENS: Goode 7; Malins 6 (Lozowski 17, 6), Daly 7, Tompkins 7 (Taylor 65, 6), Segun 6; Farrell (c) 7, Davies 7 (van Zyl 71, 6); M Vunipola 6 (Mawi 50, 6), George 6, Koch 6; Itoje 8, Isiekwe 6 (Hunter-Hill 61, 6); McFarland 7, Earl 7, B Vunipola 7 (Venter 78, 6)
Pifeleti, Wainwright