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Un dernier effort est à fournir à Parme par les Toulousains pour être les heureux hôtes d'un quart de finale de H Cup début avril. C'est avec le plus grand sérieux que les Rouge et Noir ont donc préparé ce dernier rendez-vous face au Zebre - 17/01/2014 12:29
Vincent Clerc, the leading scorer in the Heineken Cup, returns to the Toulouse line-up for his first European outing of the season as they head to Italy to try to pick up the five points they need to earn a home quarter-final.
The four-time champions overpowered nearest rivals Saracens at home last weekend to clinch a place in the last eight – they missed out last season and were knocked-out in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals – but the game against Zebre is vital if they want to pick up five more points and push for a home draw in the last eight.
The fire-power that French international wing Clerc provides could be crucial in converting chances into tries. He has scored 35 tries in 72 Heineken Cup appearances to top the all-time try scoring chart ahead of Brian O’Driscoll (33 in 85), and picked up three cup winners medals along the way.
Zebre were competitive in patches in Toulouse before they went down 38-5. Toulouse scored six tries that day and will want at least another four to secure that all-important home draw.
The Italians have once again gone through the Pool without a win and will be seeking their first European triumph at the 12th attempt. They will have Al Blacks scrum half Brendan Leonard at the base of a scrum that contains Mauro Bergamasco and Quintin Geldenhuys.
Toulouse have matched Munster’s achievement of reaching the quarter-finals for the 15th time in their history and will be looking to win their Pool for the 12th time in 19 seasons.
Une semaine après leur brillante victoire sur les Saracens
It was a case of “after the Lord Mayor’s show” for four-times champions Toulouse as they laboured to a Pool 3 win against Zebre at Stadio XXV Aprile just a week after overpowering nearest group rivals Saracens at home to clinch a place in the last eight.
Toulouse have matched Munster's achievement of reaching the quarter-finals for the 15th time in their history and have emerged Pool winners for the 12th time in 19 seasons.
But Toulouse’s 137th tournament match was anything but a stroll in the park against European novices still looking for their first competition win after 12 contests.
The French giants failed to earn a try bonus point and ended the group stages with 23 points and with home quarter-final advantage now hanging in the balance.
But all credit to the Zebre defence in restricting Toulouse to just a single try as they made a mammoth 140 tackles compared to the 60 Toulouse were called on to make.
Jean-Marc Doussain, in immaculate goal kicking form in Toulouse’s Round 5 victory over Saracens, opened the scoring with a fourth minute penalty goal but although Luciano Orquera levelled matters 10 minutes later he then let Toulouse off the hook by sending his next two chances wide of the target.
Irish referee Dudley Phillips then showed a yellow card in the 32nd minute to Dries van Schalkwyk and then another for Mauro Bergamasco three minutes later which left Zebre two men short for the rest of the first half.
However, along with Gonzalo Garcia having missed their opening penalty chance before Orquera took over the kicking duties, Toulouse were struggling to take command.
And it took their two-man advantage to produce the first try, scrum half Sébastien Bézy going over in the 38th minute and the dependable Doussain adding the extra points for a 10-3 lead for the visitors at the break.
After a scoreless 10 minutes to the second half – and Zebre restored to a full compliment of 15 players – Toulouse boss Guy Noves started to introduce new faces all round but it was the Italians who got the scoreboard moving again.
A second penalty success for Orquera cut the deficit to just four points but Bezy then matched him to keep Toulouse a converted try in front and the return of Doussain to the action saw him take Toulouse further ahead with yet another penalty but dreams of a bonus point had long since vanished.
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