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Stade dampens Toulouse's enthusiasm

Toulouse's Thierry Dusautoir, left, vies with Stade Francais' Dimitri Szarzewski during their French Top 14 rugby match in Toulouse, France, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Three-time European Cup winners Toulouse tramped off to boos from their supporters here on Saturday as they lost 16-12 to arch rivals Stade Francais, who remained the sole side to be unbeaten this term.

The match -- watched by 35,000 spectators -- had been ruined as a spectacle by torrential rain but the visitors prevailed thanks to the one try of the match scored by South African-born former France international center Brian Liebenberg in the second-half.

However that was mired in controversy as it appeared one Stade player was offside when fly-half Lionel Beauxis launched his Gary Owen from which stemmed the try.

"Yes it looks like a player may have been offside," admitted Stade winger Christophe Dominici.

"However they had several calls go their way. It was a tight match between two good sides and they were unfortunate not to score a try in the first-half," he said.

"The conditions were difficult but we have won a tough match and hopefully we will carry on in this vein. However we are neither champions of France or Europe yet," he said.

Toulouse's fiery coach Guy Noves was in no doubts about the referee's error.

"Stade's one piece of open play stemmed from an offside. However to give them their due they were stronger than us today [Saturday]," Noves said.

"It is a pity because we missed out on 13 points in the first-half and it is the result that disappoints me as the players put a lot of work into the match," he said.
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