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Benetton Treviso will host the most decorated side in the history of the Heineken Cup for the first time on Italian soil at the Stadio Comunale Monigo on Saturday afternoon. - 19/10/2012 08:44
Benetton Treviso will host the most decorated side in the history of the Heineken Cup for the first time on Italian soil at the Stadio Comunale Monigo on Saturday afternoon.
Toulouse, the champions in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010, have never played Treviso in Italy and have only played the Pro12 side once before in the Heineken Cup and that was in the inaugural competition in 1995/96.
The French aristocrats emerged as 18-9 winners at home and, of course, went on to become the first side to lift the Heineken Cup with the famous extra-time victory over Cardiff at the old National Stadium in the Welsh capital.
Now 17 years later, Toulouse will travel to Italy to face one of the most improved teams in the tournament and who now compete in the Pro12 and have taken the scalps of some of the big names of European rugby.
Guy Noves, the Toulouse coach, who saw his side record a comfortable 23-9 victory over Leicester Tigers in the Pool opener, will be wary of any kind of complacency amongst his star-studded line-up.
Meanwhile Treviso coach Franco Smith will be looking for a response from his side after their disappointing 38-17 defeat to Pro12 champions, the Ospreys, in their Pool opener at the Liberty Stadium.
Smith had hoped to see his Treviso side build on their shock victory over the Welsh side on the opening weekend of the Pro 12 season, but they failed to find their feet in Swansea.
The Italian outfit, who conceded four tries against the Ospreys, will be wary of Toulouse's teenage sensation Gael Fickou who scored the only try for the French giants against the Tigers.
But Treviso will need to improve on their discipline, they suffered three yellow cards in Wales, if they are to add Toulouse to the list of big-names they have beaten at home in recent times.
Match Facts
Flanker Thierry Dusautoir produced the joint-most (three) turnovers won in round one.
The only previous meeting between the two teams came in the inaugural season of Heineken Cup rugby in Toulouse on 12 December 1995, with the home side winning 18-9.
Treviso have won two of their last three home games against Top14 opponents, beating Perpignan and Biarritz.
The Frenchmen have won their opening two games of a Heineken Cup campaign for the past five seasons.
Toulouse have lost their last two away games in the Heineken Cup.
Pendant une heure
Vincent Clerc was both villain and hero as Toulouse made it two from two in Pool 2 with a 33-21 victory over battling Benetton Treviso at Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
The international wing was sin binned in the 45th minute but returned to improve his tournament try-scoring record with his 33rd Heineken Cup try after the hour.
However, it had been a battle of the boots in the first period with Kristopher Burton outgunning Luke McAlister 6-3 in successful penalty goals, All Black ace McAlister missing a chance in injury time to cut Treviso’s nine-point advantage before the break.
On top of that, Toulouse’s frustrations led to hooker Christopher Tolofua being yellow carded and the four-times champions had to sacrifice No8 powerhouse Louis Picamoles during the sin binning to bring on Gary Botha at scrum time.
It took 53 minutes for the first try and, although it came in the shape of a penalty try awarded by Welsh referee Leighton Hodges, it was the first of a rush of three Toulouse scores in the space of just 10 minutes as they took the game out of Treviso’s reach.
The impressive Picamoles crossed the home line before Clerc got that record stretching 33rd try to add Treviso’s scalp to that of Leicester Tigers and put Toulouse in pole position in the group, even though they finished a man short when Tolofua was red carded in the 76th minute.
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