Reigning two-time champions Toulon began their European Rugby Champions Cup defense with a rugged 28-18 victory over a spirited Scarlets side on Sunday.
Australian playmaker Matt Giteau, center Maxime Mermoz and English No. 8 Steffon Armitage crossed the whitewash as Toulon finally pulled away in the second half. The result was enough to put the French champions top of Pool 3 ahead of their trip to Northern Ireland next weekend to face Ulster, who lost 25-18 at Leicester on Saturday, but they were frustrated at failing to score a fourth try and secure a bonus point.
“We created opportunities and we were going for that bonus point at the end, but we couldn’t quite cross the line,” fullback Leigh Halfpenny told France 2.
Photo: AFP
After Halfpenny and Scarlets flyhalf Rhys Priestland exchanged penalties at the Stade Mayol, the hosts scored the opening try following clever midfield interplay between Giteau, who touched down, and Mermoz. However, Halfpenny failed to convert as the ball fell off the tee and he ran out of time to take his kick.
Scarlets were proving durable opponents and they went ahead after a converted try of their own.
Liam Williams broke through weak tackles from Mermoz and Halfpennny and though he was held up short of the line, flanker John Barclay was on hand to take a pass from the back of the ruck and charge over, although he comically dove on the ball and winded himself.
Two minutes later, Mermoz charged down Scott Williams’ clearing kick in the Welsh side’s 22 and showed nifty skills to dribble the ball over the line and touch down, with Halfpenny converting.
An exchange of penalties between Wales internationals Halfpenny and Priestland at the end of the half left the score at 18-13.
Toulon failed to take advantage of Emyr Phillips’ sin-binning early in the second, but as soon as he returned to the fray, Halfpenny kicked a penalty from halfway to extend the champions’ lead.
Scarlets’ resistance was finally broken 10 minutes from time as Armitage burrowed over after a period of pressure on the Welsh side’s line — the Englishman’s appearance almost certainly putting paid to any suggestions of a transfer back to his homeland before the World Cup as he would be cup-tied in Europe.
However, the Welsh region kept plugging away and had the final say as Kristian Phillips went over in the final minute after a sweeping backs move started from their own half.
In Dublin, two tries from Darragh Fanning saw Leinster overturn a nine-point deficit at halftime to beat Wasps 25-20 in a tough clash involving two sides who between them have been crowned champions of Europe five times.
Leinster were 20-11 down at the break, with Wasps scoring tries through Alapati Leiua and a scorching effort from wing Christian Wade, with Fanning crossing for his first in-between. Yet three-time champions Leinster hit back through Fanning’s second try.
They took a decisive lead when Dominic Ryan stretched out for the line and was awarded a try after a lengthy adjudication by the replay official. However, Wasps at least had the consolation of a losing bonus point.
In Sunday’s early matches, record four-time champions Toulouse beat fellow French Top 14 outfit Montpellier 30-23, while Ospreys ran in five tries to secure a bonus point victory in a 42-7 thumping of Italian outfit Treviso.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two