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Maxime Médard celebrating after his Heineken Man of the Match performance against Leinster Rugby
Toulouse will remain top of Heineken Champions Cup Pool 1 on Saturday if they are able to defeat Wasps at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The match gets underway at 17:30, with live coverage on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS.
- The last six meetings between Wasps and Toulouse are evenly split with both clubs winning two games apiece in addition to two draws. All six games have been decided by fewer than seven points.
- Wasps are unbeaten in their last 12 home games against TOP 14 opposition (W11, D1), and their one draw in that run was against Saturday’s opponents in 2016/17.
- Toulouse have won their opening two games this season, one of just four clubs with a 100% record coming into Round 3.
- Wasps are yet to win a match this season (D1, L1), and the last time they failed to win any of their opening three tournament games was in 2005/06 (D1, L2).
- Toulouse defeated Bath in Round 1 at The Rec, however, they have not won consecutive away games in the tournament since the 2014/15 season.
🎥 "We know we’ve got to win against Toulouse and we’ll give it our best shot.”
Director of Rugby Dai Young looks ahead to the vital @ChampionsCup game against Toulouse at @RicohArena on Saturday… pic.twitter.com/0JMK3BwLSA
— Wasps Rugby (@WaspsRugby) December 2, 2018
- Toulouse have made 37 offloads to date, more than any other side in the tournament and 20 more than Wasps (17).
- Wasps’ Joe Simpson was directly involved in all five of Wasps’ tries against Bath in Round 2 (1 try, 4 assists), and is only the third player to be involved in five tries in a Heineken Champions Cup game since Opta have recorded this data (2010/11).
- Toulouse duo Sofiane Guitoune and Maxime Médard have both crossed for three tries and are the leading try scorers to date.
- Wasps’ Thomas Young has won a tournament-high seven turnovers this season.
A #ChampionsCup classic?@StadeToulousain defeat defending champions @leinsterrugby thanks to 2️⃣ tries from @MaxMedard 🏉🏉
📹 Watch the highlights 👇 pic.twitter.com/g2UMr5ZGoE
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) October 22, 2018
Toulouse's Cheslin Kolbe breaks free to score his side's opening try
Four-time European champions Toulouse fought back from a half-time deficit to defeat Wasps 24-16 at the Ricoh Arena and remain top of Pool 1.
An early Lima Sopoaga gave the home side the lead before Springbok Cheslin Kolbe displayed brute force and terrific speed to score the game’s first try. The wing evaded four Wasps defenders on his 60-metre carry to put Toulouse ahead. Thomas Ramos failed with his conversion.
However, the fly-half did find his kicking boots in time for the next two efforts from the tee – both penalties to give the French side the lead. Wasps captain Elliot responded with a kick himself from 50 metres out.
Toulouse prop Max van Dyk was then sin-binned following a high tackle and Wasps took full advantage of the extra man with Will Rowland’s timing his run to perfect to cross over and give the Coventry side a 13-11 lead at the break.
A third Ramos penalty after the break gave the visitors back the lead and a terrific line break from Sofiane Guitoune, which was duly converted by Ramos.
Daly and Ramos traded penalties before another Toulouse sin-bin made life tricky for the French outfit towards the end but resolute defence kept the home side out.
Cheslin Kolbe was named Heineken Man of the Match by BT Sport’s Austin Healey and said post-match: “Definitely a great team effort from the boys! We knew coming here it wouldn’t be easy. We are learning every week and want to keep getting better.”
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