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Heineken Cup holders RC Toulon kick off the defence of their crown with a home tie against Glasgow Warriors at the Stade Felix Mayol on Sunday. - 08/10/2013 11:02
Heineken Cup holders RC Toulon kick off the defence of their crown with a home tie against Glasgow Warriors at the Stade Felix Mayol on Sunday.
Jonny Wilkinson and co claimed continental glory against fellow French outfit ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium back in May after they knocked out the likes of Leicester Tigers and Saracens on their way to the Dublin showpiece.
That was just Toulon’s second season in Europe’s top tournament, with their first having ended at the pool stages in 2010/11.
They start as heavy favourites to reach the last eight this time around having also been paired with Cardiff Blues and Exeter Chiefs in Pool 2.
Both Toulon and Glasgow head into the Heineken Cup in high spirits as they sit at the top of their respective domestic tables.
Toulon have won five, lost three and drawn one of their first nine league games to head the Top 14 standings on points difference from Montpellier and Toulouse as they look to make up for the disappointment of losing last season’s final to Castres in Paris.
Glasgow travel to France in even more impressive form, though, having won all five of their opening fixtures in the PRO12.
Gregor Townsend’s troops have seen off all before them so far this season, with Ulster, Leinster and the Scarlets among those to have already been beaten.
The Scots suffered a big blow in the lead up to this mouth-watering opener, however, after British & Irish Lions star Stuart Hogg and fellow full back Peter Murchie were both ruled out of action.
“To go to Toulon for the first European game of the season is massive and we'll be right up for it. We'll go out there to be our absolute best – which we'll have to be,” said Glasgow captain Al Kellock.
“It doesn't come any bigger than this. They were the best team in Europe last year and it will be a huge challenge. I know it's a cliché, but those are the games you want to play in.”
Match Facts
Sunday, 13 October 2013; 16:00, Stade Félix Mayol; France 2, Sky Sports
Referee: Greg Garner (Eng)
Assistant Ref: Andrew Small (Eng) Assistant Ref: Robin Goodliffe (Eng)
TMO: Graham Hughes (Eng) Citing Commissioner: Peter Larter (Eng)
- Last season’s champions won eight of their nine matches with the only blemish coming at the hands of Montpellier in their final pool match having already qualified for the knockout stage.
- Toulon are unbeaten at home in this tournament, winning all seven of their matches.
- Glasgow have lost their last four and won none of their last six (D1) away from home in the Heineken Cup.
- The Warriors have lost three times as many games (18) against French clubs as they have won (six) in this competition, drawing two.
Le champion d'Europe en titre entame convenablement la reconquête de son titre en Heineken Cup à domicile
Toulon kicked-off the defence of their Heineken Cup crown with half-a-dozen tries, but they also found out that qualifying from Pool 2 isn’t going to be a walk in the park.
Having secured a try bonus point by half time, when they led 34-0, they conceded four tries as they lost the second half 28-17 to a resurgent Glasgow Warriors side who came back from the dead to pick up a priceless try bonus themselves.
Given how hopelessly overrun they had been in the first half it was an amazing turn around by Gregor Townsend’s team, especially as Toulon had only conceded seven tries in nine games in the Top 14 this season.
Jonny Wilkinson returned to the home starting line-up and orchestrated a brilliant opening period in which the home side scored 17 points in as many minutes. He then converted skipper Chis Masoe’s try to make it 24-0, but then left the field with an ice pack on his right hand.
Such is the strength in depth of the Toulon squad that Wilkinson’s departure led to the arrival of Frederic Michalak. Toulon started with a team containing 956 cap, and had new signing Bryan Habana watching from the stand.
There were four tries for the home side by the break, with French international Maxime Mermoz grabbing two of them, and they led 34-0. Glasgow had been unable to get their hands on the ball and spent most of the opening 40 minutes chasing shadows.
But that all changed in the second half, which they won 28-10, when they finally got to the pace of the game and began to gain some possession. Canadian international wing DTH van der Merwe was introduced at half-time and Niko Matawalu moved off the wing to scrum half.
They made a massive impact and scored three of the four tries between them. Van der Merwe crossed within two minutes of coming on and that gave Glasgow the confidence to throw caution to the wind.
Matt Giteau grabbed one back for Toulon, but then it was all Glasgow and Matawalu, Jonny Gray nd van der Merwe again crossed for tries all of which Ruardhi Jackson converted to cut the gap from 34 points at the break to 13 with 20 minutes to go.
A Michalak penalty steadied the ship for the a and then Giteau, who started at centre and ended up at outside half, scampered over for his second try to round off a magnificent match.
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