Pool Six/Leicester 14 Toulouse 9:If Leicester are to repeat their feat of last season and reach the Heineken European Cup final after losing their opening pool game, they will almost certainly have to win in Toulouse next weekend. Pool Six is unlikely to provide one of the two best runners-up quarter-finalists.
The Tigers sloshed their way to victory on Saturday largely because they played the better game in the conditions. The difference between the two sides was summed up by the performances of the two outside-halves: Valentin Courrent ran the ball but Andy Goode ran the game; it was a death by a thousand punts.
The New Zealand centre Aaron Mauger reckoned he received two passes on his Leicester debut. Goode had no need of a second five-eighth as he played for territory, undoing Toulouse's carefully crafted approach work with a series of 60-yard kicks after the ball had been fumbled in the wet or turned over.
The only try, predictably, came from a mistake. The Toulouse fullback Clement Poitrenaud was caught in possession in his own 22 after 11 minutes. Instead of waiting for a ruck to form, he passed off the floor and watched Ollie Smith scoop the ball, via a deflection, and cross in the corner.
Toulouse twice held the lead, but the match was similar to the 2003 World Cup semi-final between England and France in Sydney, with Leicester far more comfortable in the wet conditions. It was far from a vintage performance by the home side, who were without a crop of internationals. Toulouse, who thought they had scored the winning try through Vincent Clerc three minutes from the end, only for Cedric Heymans's final pass to be ruled forward, look dangerous again after failing to qualify for the quarter-finals last season.
"We are praying to the gods for a dry day on Sunday because Leicester played smarter rugby than us in the first game," said the Toulouse scrumhalf, Byron Kelleher, convinced that his side's attacking arsenal would overwhelm the Tigers in favourable conditions. "We should not be hoping for another wet afternoon," replied the Leicester assistant coach, Richard Cockerill. "We are a good enough side to go to France and play. They are one of the big teams in this tournament, potential winners, but so are we."
Despite their greater comfort with the elements, Leicester were at times hanging on. Yannick Jauzion provided Toulouse's controlling influence in the centre, always blessed with time, but for all the visitors' ability to get behind Leicester's defence, the only two occasions when a telling final ball was produced saw the referee, Nigel Owens, blow for a forward pass.
Mauger was left to reflect on a debut which seemed to sum up the scornful Southern Hemisphere view of the English game, perspiration prevailing over inspiration. "It was a little bit different," he said. "Conditions dictated somewhat. Toulouse started well and it is important to be confident going into a game and to back your skills. I was impressed with the way they played the game."
While Leicester celebrated a victory which kept them alive in the pool, the bonus point Toulouse garnered in their first defeat of the season may yet prove decisive.
LEICESTER: Vesty; Smith, Hipkiss, Mauger (Rabeni, 61), Varndell; Goode, F Murphy (Youngs, h-t); Ayerza, Kayser (Chuter, 69), White (Castrogiovanni, 52), L Deacon (Hamilton, 40), Wentzel, Corry (capt), Abraham, Crane. Try: Smith. Pens: Goode 3.
TOULOUSE: Poitrenaud; Clerc, Jauzion (capt), Fritz (Kunavore, 60), Heymans; Courrent (Elissalde, 80), Kelleher; Human (Hasan, 70), Servat (Lacombe, 75), Poux (Human, 80), Pelous (Millo-Chlusky, 55), Albacete (Lamboley, 80), Nyanga (Bouilhou, 58), Dusautoir, Sowerby. Pens: Courrent 2. Drop-goal: Courrent.
Referee: N Owens (Wales).
