Triple champions Toulouse edged Glasgow 22-16 for their second win in two games in this season’s European Cup on Friday, but they failed to pick up a crucial try-scoring bonus point.
The French, who needed a last-minute penalty to beat Bath last weekend, struggled with handling errors and conceded a series of sloppy penalties in the first half to trail 9-7 at the interval.
But they scored two tries in the space of eight minutes at the start of the second period, which created the platform for a nervous victory in the Pool 5 clash at Firhill.
PHOTO: AP
Glasgow coach Sean Lineen, whose side have now lost both their group matches, praised his side.
“Their tries were quite soft. Our set piece was great, our scrum was solid and we gave it everything,” Lineen said. “We’re proud of the way we stood up in defense and we can hold our heads high. [Fly-half] Dan Parks controlled the game and [winger] Thom Evans caused problems, but Toulouse turned their pressure into points.”
Toulouse scrum-half, former All Black Byron Kelleher said: “We’re not consistent at the moment. We have to improve on our basic skills.”
Scottish international Parks kicked two penalties for a 6-0 Glasgow lead inside the first 13 minutes, but missed the opportunity to make it 9-0 when he horribly scuffed a third.
The French giants made him pay when they scored the first try of the night after 25 minutes when Toulouse turned the ball over at a Glasgow scrum, allowing David Skrela to sprint through a huge gap to score.
Skrela hit the conversion, but Parks was successful with another penalty eight minutes from the interval to give the Scots a deserved halftime lead.
French class shone through early in the second half.
After Malell Kunavore had kicked a drop goal to give Toulouse a 10-9 lead, Kelleher went over for his side’s second try of the match.
Flying winger Maxime Medard, who had dropped the ball when just short of the try line in the first half, was left with lots of space on the halfway line to sprint away from his markers.
He fed supporting prop Salvatore Perugini, who then released Kelleher for the try.
Skrela missed the conversion, but in the 52nd minute his side scored their third try to lead 20-9.
Full-back Clement Poitrenaud prodded the ball forward to leave the Scottish defense flat-footed, before fellow international Yannick Jauzion crossed. This time Skrela was successful with the conversion and extended the lead to 22-9.
Toulouse went looking for a bonus point from a fourth try, but in the 76th minute they made a terrible hash of a move when they were camped on the Glasgow line.
Three times the French failed to gather the ball and Glasgow’s New Zealand winger Lome Faatau sprinted away to grab his team’s only try, converted by Parks, to make the final score 22-16.
IN-HOUSE BUSINESS: LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said that the reason for the team’s poor form was not due to Paul, but the player was not a good fit for them Chris Paul’s return stint with the Los Angeles Clippers has come to an abrupt and stunning end, with the franchise parting ways with one of its greatest players in a late-night meeting on Wednesday that adds another layer of drama to the team’s terrible start this season. The news was delivered in a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, that ended at about 2am, Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank said. Frank said he made the decision to sever ties with Paul on Sunday then told the franchise’s career assist leader that he needed to see him on Tuesday in Atlanta. Frank did not confirm
Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday scored twice and had an assist as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to end a three-match winless streak in La Liga. Eduardo Camavinga also found the net for Madrid as they moved back within one point of Barcelona, who beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday. Both 19th-round matches were moved forward because Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid are to play in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals in Saudi Arabia next month. Real Madrid were coming off league draws against Girona, Elche and Rayo Vallecano. It was their second win in their past six matches in
There was another win for Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday, but more misery for Liverpool and their under-fire manager, Arne Slot. While Arsenal accelerated their title charge with a 2-0 victory over Brentford to regain a five-point lead, Liverpool needed a late own-goal just to salvage a 1-1 draw with Sunderland AFC at Anfield. Slot is back under pressure, with his team languishing in eighth place in a disappointing title defense and his decision to leave star forward Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup for a second straight game likely to be heavily scrutinized. “It’s clear that teams that play
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
RSS