Indisciplined, making mistakes and probably wishing Jonny Wilkinson was still in town, it took a halftime team talk from Bernard Laporte to lick Toulon into shape in their Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster on Sunday.
In a little more than half-full Stade Velodrome in Marseille, about 50 km along the Mediterranean coast from the naval port city, Toulon were floundering and a shadow of the sides that won back-to-back European titles in 2013 and last year.
A final against Clermont Auvergne next month awaits after a tense 25-20 extra time win, but Toulon will want to forget this turgid affair. Clearly, they are still searching for a talisman to replace the revered Wilkinson who retired last year.
Photo: AFP
A woeful opening half, punctuated by a succession of whistles from referee Wayne Barnes, had done little to showcase the merits of two sides who between them had won five of the past six European Cups.
The ball may have been slippery after heavy afternoon downpours, but Toulon did not help themselves by repeatedly knocking-on or incurring Barnes’ wrath — so much so that the straight-talking Laporte was left to pass on a simple message at halftime: “Be more disciplined.”
Toulon, for the most part, heeded his words, although valiant Leinster were far from a spent force, matching the French aristocrats throughout.
“We made a lot of mistakes ... handling errors... We were vulnerable in the lineout,” Laporte said. “I told them you need discipline and stop giving away three points. We needed to keep it simpler and tight, stick to the center and not play so wide.”
Laporte did not hesitate to haul off ineffective flyhalf Frederic Michalak early in the second half, much to Michalak’s annoyance.
“He’s had a painful knee for a few days and was a bit hesitant,” Laporte said. “I could feel he was not at 100 percent and felt I needed to do something.”
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