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In another battle of the heavyweights four-times winners and reining champions Toulouse take on two-time winners London Wasps at Stade Ernest-Wallon. - 07/10/2010 17:20
In another battle of the heavyweights four-times winners and reining champions Toulouse take on two-time winners London Wasps at Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Since beating Cardiff in the inaugural Heineken Cup final in 1996, Toulouse have been the stand-out team in the competition and have reached the knockout stages 12 times.
Wasps return to the Heineken Cup after a year in the Amlin Challenge Cup. They got to the semi-final of that competition before being beaten by eventual winners the Cardiff Blues.
But it will be a big ask for Tom Rees’ men. Toulouse have a fearsome home record with 43 wins in 51 home games, with their last loss coming in the 2008/09 season against Glasgow.
The two former winners have met each other on four occasions. Wasps have the slightly better record with two wins to Toulouse’s one, with one match drawn.
The last time the sides clashed was in the 2005/06 competition. They shared the honours at Adams Park before Toulouse won 19-13 in France.
Les champions d'Europe de Toulouse démarrent leur campagne en battant les London Wasps dans un match de poule 6 ultra serré. - 10/10/2010 17:33
Heineken Cup champions Toulouse kicked off their European campaign by defeating London Wasps in a tense Pool 6 battle.
French fly-half David Skrela scored all the points for the home side, the only try of the game coming from Wasps replacement David Lemi.
The English side had the chance to win the tie with a last-gasp penalty but David Walder’s kicked drifted wide.
Wasps suffered a blow when England centre Riki Flutey pulled out due to the impending birth of his third child, but they took the lead courtesy of a Walder penalty from close-range.
Both sides were unable to find any cohesion in the wet but Toulouse levelled on 11 minutes when fly-half Skrela kicked a penalty of his own.
Walder and Skrela exchanged penalties before Skrela put the French giants ahead for the first time on 31 minutes.
Wasps refused to buckle and after a quick-tap by skipper Tom Rees, Walder calmed slotted home a fine drop goal to head into the interval all square at 9-9.
Toulouse dominated possession for large periods in the second half but Guy Noves’ men were forced to wait until the hour mark to regain the lead when Skrela added his fourth, then fifth penalty.
The game’s only try came after Walder chipped through and Lemi outpaced Poitrenaud to kick ahead and then touch down under the posts, Walder adding the conversion to put Wasps back in front.
The Toulouse scrum dominated and the visitors were penalised at the set piece not long after and Skrela took advantage.
Walder had the chance to seal a famous win for the Aviva Premiership outfit in the dying seconds but his attempt was off target.
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