HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL Edinburgh 19 Toulouse 14:TOULOUSE, THE most successful side in the history of the Heineken Cup were on the receiving end of one of the competition's biggest shocks. They fell victim to the classic underdog sting.
It was not so much a case of Michael Bradley’s Edinburgh dragging down Toulouse to their level, but the home side playing the game on their terms. The four-time winners struggled to get a foothold and even though they led 14-7 five minutes before the interval, eight of their points had been scored when the hosts were down to 13 men.
Edinburgh so varied their tactics – kicking, recycling and moving the ball wide – that they not only befuddled the visitors, but inspired the home crowd to find its voice. It was the furious reaction of the near-38,000 crowd that prompted referee Nigel Owens to show a yellow card to the hooker William Servat four minutes into the second half, after he had intercepted a pass in an offside position. Edinburgh scored two penalties through their captain Greig Laidlaw while Servat was serving his time, regaining the lead, and Toulouse barely threatened in the final quarter.
“The crowd was a critical factor in our victory,” said Edinburgh head coach, and former Irish international Bradley. “We could have faced Toulouse in front of just 14,000 and they would not have felt any pressure. The quality of our support was such that in the last 20 minutes you felt we were not going to lose.”
Edinburgh became the first Scottish side to reach the semi-finals and their achievement after the national side’s whitewash in the Six Nations was more than a desperately needed tonic. “It is an opportunity for us,” said Bradley. “The game here has the chance to move forward, and while not many people may have backed us to win, we believed, because we have the ability to trouble any side.”
Laidlaw created his side’s only try, hoisting a garryowen at Toulouse wing Timoci Matanavou who missed the ball completely, allowing Mike Blair to scoop it up and writhe his way through two tackles. Matanavou did score his eighth try in the Heineken Cup this season, one short of Tommy Bowe’s record. Toulouse were within a score of victory, but, with 30 seconds to go, Laidlaw landed a penalty to prompt scenes of rapture and secure a semi-final place against Ulster in Dublin.
EDINBURGH: T Brown, Jones, De Luca, Scott, T Visser, Laidlaw, M Blair, Jacobsen, Ford, Cross, Gilchrist, Cox, Denton, Rennie, Talei. Replacements: Leck for M Blair (40), Grant for Rennie (71), McInally for Talei (71).
TOULOUSE: Jauzion, Matanavou, Fritz, David, Donguy, Beauxis, Burgess, Poux, Servat, Johnston, Maestri, Albacete, Bouilhou, Dustautoir, Picamoles. Replacements: Poitrenaud for Fritz (52), Doussain for Burgess (66), Human for Poux (53), Tolofua for Servat (74), Montes for Johnston (61), Lamboley for Maestri (71), Nyanga for Bouilhou (61), Galan for Picamoles (48).
Referee: Nigel Owens(Wal).
Guardian Service
