MUNSTER EDGE OUT TOULOUSE TO CLINCH SECOND HEINEKEN CUP TITLE
Ronan O’Gara earned Munster their second Heineken Cup trophy, after his 11 kicked points edged out three-time winners Toulouse 16–13 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. It was their second success in three years, strengthening their stranglehold on European rugby.
The French team, who won the first European Cup 12 years ago and last lifted it in 2005, opened the scoring through fly-half Jean-Baptiste Élissalde. The diminutive No10 missed a penalty chance after five minutes but made amends immediately by stroking over a drop-kick four minutes later.
In a bruising and tight first 40 minutes, with both defences neutralizing any attacking threat, it took Munster until 10 minutes before the break to engineer their first meaningful scoring opportunity. All Black winger Doug Howlett managed to pierce the Toulouse wall with a slinking run. After being held up short, No8 Dennis Leamy reached over to touch down, though referee Nigel Owens adjudged the Irish backrower to have lost control of the ball.
A defensive five metre scrum was awarded and Munster twisted their French opponents so much that they earned the following scrum. And Toulouse buckled under the pressure as the Munster forwards bludgeoning their defence, with Leamy the man to cross the white wash – it was his tenth Heineken Cup try in his 30th appearance.
O’Gara converted before adding another three points after Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous was penalised. Élissalde hit back with a penalty to take the score to 10-6 at the interval.
Pelous again let his side down by kicking out at a Munster player 12 minutes into the second half – he was sin-binned for 10 minutes and O’Gara slotted the penalty. Though their imposing second-row skipper was off the field, Toulouse, through the genius of their mercurial full-back Cedric Heymans, scored a superb converted try to bring them level with 25 minutes remaining.
Heymans, sensing that his team needed something out of the ordinary, threw a line out to himself in his own half, before chipping forward. He collected his own kick before lacing on again. Charging for the line Toulouse centre Yannick Jauzion fly-hacked on before winger Yves Donguy dropped on the ball to score.
However Pelous, having served his 10 minutes on the sidelines, conceded yet another penalty with 15 minutes left. Ireland’s No10 O’Gara knocked over his third three-pointer in a perfect kicking game and his team held on for an emotional victory.
Ronan O’Gara earned Munster their second Heineken Cup trophy, after his 11 kicked points edged out three-time winners Toulouse 16–13 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. It was their second success in three years, strengthening their stranglehold on European rugby.
The French team, who won the first European Cup 12 years ago and last lifted it in 2005, opened the scoring through fly-half Jean-Baptiste Élissalde. The diminutive No10 missed a penalty chance after five minutes but made amends immediately by stroking over a drop-kick four minutes later.
In a bruising and tight first 40 minutes, with both defences neutralizing any attacking threat, it took Munster until 10 minutes before the break to engineer their first meaningful scoring opportunity. All Black winger Doug Howlett managed to pierce the Toulouse wall with a slinking run. After being held up short, No8 Dennis Leamy reached over to touch down, though referee Nigel Owens adjudged the Irish backrower to have lost control of the ball.
A defensive five metre scrum was awarded and Munster twisted their French opponents so much that they earned the following scrum. And Toulouse buckled under the pressure as the Munster forwards bludgeoning their defence, with Leamy the man to cross the white wash – it was his tenth Heineken Cup try in his 30th appearance.
O’Gara converted before adding another three points after Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous was penalised. Élissalde hit back with a penalty to take the score to 10-6 at the interval.
Pelous again let his side down by kicking out at a Munster player 12 minutes into the second half – he was sin-binned for 10 minutes and O’Gara slotted the penalty. Though their imposing second-row skipper was off the field, Toulouse, through the genius of their mercurial full-back Cedric Heymans, scored a superb converted try to bring them level with 25 minutes remaining.
Heymans, sensing that his team needed something out of the ordinary, threw a line out to himself in his own half, before chipping forward. He collected his own kick before lacing on again. Charging for the line Toulouse centre Yannick Jauzion fly-hacked on before winger Yves Donguy dropped on the ball to score.
However Pelous, having served his 10 minutes on the sidelines, conceded yet another penalty with 15 minutes left. Ireland’s No10 O’Gara knocked over his third three-pointer in a perfect kicking game and his team held on for an emotional victory.
Labels: Heineken Cup, Munster, Ronan O'Gara, Toulouse
