THANKS FOR THE memories, Heineken Cup, but it all ends here.
These two finalists have accounted for all Irish interest in this year’s European Cup, but who will prevail in the final final in Cardiff.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail sean@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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Let’s get this over with then…
Ah, no. Though the 19th Heineken Cup final is hardly the most hotly anticipated edition of the European Cup, we’re genuinely excited to see how this one pans out.
Neither side is particularly likeable, and the only chance of a clash of style is if Toulon decide to cut loose and stretch Saracens, but it’s a match which promises to be an intriguing 80 minutes of rugby.
So, who takes your fancy?
Evil Saracens with their salt-of-the-earth Irish coach or those snooty rich kids with impeccable professionalism down in Toulon?
Here’s the 46 men we’ll be watching today.
Toulon: Delon Armitage; Drew Mitchell, Mathieu Bastareaud, Matt Giteau, Bryan Habana; Jonny Wilkinson (capt.), Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Xavier Chiocci, Craig Burden, Carl Hayman, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw; Juan Smith, Juan Fernandez Lobbe, Steffon Armitage.
Replacements: Jean-Charles Orioli, Alexandre Menini, Martin Castrogiovanni, Ali Williams, Virgile Bruni, Maxime Mermoz, Michael Claassens, Jocelino Suta.
Saracens: Alex Goode; Chris Ashton, Marcelo Bosch, Brad Barritt, David Strettle; Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Schalk Brits, Matt Stevens; Steve Borthwick (capt.), Alistair Hargreaves; Kelly Brown, Jacques Burger, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Jamie George, Richard Barrington, James Johnston, Mouritz Botha, Jackson Wray, Neil de Kock, Charlie Hodgson, Chris Wyles.
Where is this game going to be won and lost? There are lots of similarities between the sides in their power and game plans, but with some key differences. We picked out five important areas for this clash:
5 key areas in the Toulon v Saracens Heineken Cup final
There it is… the Heineken Cup standing by ahead of being lifted in glory for the last time ever. It’s been magical.
The Millenium Stadium is an incredible venue. Here’s a shot of the pitch, with that roof full closed. Ideal conditions for rugby, but will we see any ambitious attacking play?
Saracens take enormous pride in their tackling as a squad. Here’s their own selection of “the wolfpack’s” finest moments.
Will Greenwood’s got the tactics truck out to heap praise upon Matt Giteau. Love a bit of centre chat does our Will.
Sky now have their creepy team line-up holograms on the field and Stu Barnes is reading his pre-match script word for word. Fear not, though. the teams are in the tunnel and the fireworks are ready to blow.
KICK-OFF
OOOMPH! Farrell lands the kick-off onto JMF Lobbe and Chris Ashton times the chase to perfection, smashing the flanker and forcing the knock-on.
Penalty! Matt Stevens is getting the plaudits as Alain Rollaind blows in favour of Saracens and Farrell has an easy enough opportunity to start his day and from the right side of the 22…
PENALTY Toulon 0 Saracens 3 (Farrell ’4)
Nailed it.
Toulon have really stated their intention since conceding that penalty. We’re in double figures of slow phases as the French side try to throw their weight around with carries from Armitage and Bastareaud before Brad Barritt comes in with a brilliant jackal to force the penalty.
Well, after an impressive opening the errors are flowing. Goode misses touch from the penalty and a mix-up between Russouw and Tillous-Borde leaves the ball on the deck.
The roof is closed in Cardiff, this is pure nerves.
Second blood goes Sarries’ way too.
Xavier Chiocci again pinged for collapsing the set-piece.
JMFL is rattled. The Argentine is penalised for hands in the ruck around half way and give his compatriot an opportunity at goal, but Marcelo Bosch can’t quite find the direction to double Saracens lead.
We’d be interested to hear from anybody in the stadium, because from here it sounds as if the atmosphere is non-existent.
Ooooh! The French fans almost had reason the cheer as Wigglesworth is all too easily blocked down by Craig Burden.
Tillou-Borde just loses the race to the loose ball though and it’ll be a 22 drop-out.
Perhaps we’re not hearing the best of Cardiff, actually. Alain Rollaind has been complaining about his comms-link being too loud throughout this game and just a minute ago, Sky’s commentator (Simon Lazenby) was heard to say “I can’t hear” in what was presumably supposed to be an off-mic word with the director.
Ooomph! Now there is some crowd involvement as Saracens build some pressure and Burden shoots out of the line twice to nail ball-carriers on their heels (and put them on their backs).
Toulon frustrate Farrell into taking on a drop-goal and he misses.
20 mins
YELLOW CARD: Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe has had a mare of a first quarter. Just as Toulon come out of trouble he attempts to contest a high ball (fine) and then grabs a hold of Hargreaves’ jersey while the lock is still in the air (not cool).
The penalty is just slightly closer than Bosch’s attempt, Farrell takes it on…. and misses to the left.
Alright, it’s time to call a spade a spade, the final Heineken Cup final is currently a bit of a snoozefest.
Any chance of a red card, Alain?
As the Sky commentary team helpfully point out, Saracens have just conceded their first penalty of the match. You’d think the low penalty count would amount to an open flowing game of rugby… but it doesn’t. Stoppage City in the big house by the Arm’s Park at the minute.
Okay, another pointless stoppage over and done with and Toulon get some momentum with five decent phases.
TRY! Toulon 7 Saracens 3 (Giteau ’30)
An unbelievable moment seemingly out of nothing as Jonny Wilkinson switches the plan and Matt Giteau dinks a delicate touch further right with his left boot. Drew Mitchell wins the leap and manages to get a pass away to his fellow Wallaby.
Gorgeous moment and rarely has a try been more welcome. This game needed that badly.
It’s a doubly good moment for Toulon, because it also brought them up to the end of JMFL’s sin-bin period. Now they’re back to 15 and can go from strength to strength.
Yeah, you just get the sense now that Toulon are beginning to find a rhythm and, thanks to that, so too is the game.
The red pack is finding itself slightly more on the front foot and loose balls are going their way.
DROP-GOAL! Toulon 10 Saracens 3 (Wilkinson ‘ 37)
An absolute gem of a drop from the great JW. has anybody every struck the ball so sweetly with their weak boot?
The penalty was coming anyway after a dominant maul, but Wilko loves to keep that scoreboard ticking over.
HALF TIME: Toulon 10 Saracens 3
Just as the clock goes red we start to see a glimpse of threatening running rugby. Drew Mitchell forgoes the touchline in favour of hacking the ball long downfield.
Alex Goode (mystifyingly) does the same and gets almost gets caught. Brad Barritt does well to step out of trouble, but his ambitious counter-attacking idea ends with his pass… to nobody in particular and the half ended with the ball flying into the near stand.
If you guess that this means the second half is coming soon, give yourselves a pat on the back.
42 mins: JW doesn’t always strike the ball beautifully with his right. His latest clearance fails to find touch and Wilkinson has to chase down the weak kick.
Back come Saracens, desperately trying to force an opening in these early stages and… they get a bit of a bonus scrum after Rollaind gets in the way.
Yep, the bonus comes to pass with Saracens getting a huge shove on to force a penalty on the 22 line. It’s central, so…
PENALTY Toulon 10 Saracens 6 (Farrell ’45)
And that marks the end of Chiocci for the day. Alexandre Menini comes on to take on Stevens with just four points between the sides.
51 minutes. Ah lads! Just when we thought this game was primed for a bit of a purple patch, it descends into tripe again.
Okay, Philippe Saint-Andre is trying to breath some life into the game by unleashing his bench on proceedings. Suta and Williams replace Russouw and Botha.
It’s not quite their impact, but it is instant. Steffon Armitage does what he does best, gets his head in and forces a penalty at the breakdown to give Wilko a sight of goal.
PENALTY! Toulon 13 Saracens 6 (Wilkinson ’54)
WAHAYYY! Our yawn is briefly interrupted by the cheery sight of Chris Ashton falling over on his own try-line..
Alas, it comes to more nothing as he springs back to his feet and clears his lines.
TRY! Toulon 20 Saracens 6 (J Smith ’59)
A second thrilling moment in this match and again it comes from Toulon. A stunning try as Bastareaud finds space on the right flank and barrels upfield, passing outside to Juan Smith.
The Springbok brilliantly takes the ball behind him and passes to JMFL who instantly returns the favour.
Wilkinson adds the conversion.
PENALTY! Toulon 23 Saracens 6 (Wilkinson ’63)
Owen Farrell is pretty fortunate to escape without a yellow after leaving a heavy check waiting for Bryan Habana after the winger chipped and chased upfield.
JW nails the central penalty that follows.
One last roll of the dice from Mark McCall as he hauls Farrell off and lobs Charlie Hodgson into the equation.
The 19th and final Heineken Cup is only going one way, though, to the team who dumped Munster and Leinster out of Europe. While the side who accounted for Ulster and Connacht will limp home in a distant second.
Wow. Mathieu Bastareaud has just attempted a drop-goal and it was absolutely hilarious.
The big man’s skills lie in other areas.
Here’s the moment Toulon players knew they would be the back-to-back champions of Europe.
Can anybody stop them next year?
74 minutes: Another brief intake of breath as Steffon Armitage breaks though a gap off a line-out, but Sarries scramble well and make the ball unplayable. Scrum.
77 minutes. Jonny Wilkinson makes his exit from European rugby. He’ll have his eye on one more medal next week.
‘Even the Welsh fans,’ says Stu Barnes, ‘ are applauding Wilkinson’.
Of course they are, they’re not Saracens!
FULL-TIME: Toulon are the Heineken Cup Champions again!
Toulon 23 Saracens 6
Jonny Wilkinson says it’s been a privilege to have been a part of that game.
Well, Jonny, it’s been a provilege to watch you, but that game won’t be the way you’re going to be remembered.
Steffon Armitage explains his breakdown dominance: ‘I’m just short, aren’t I?”
He was brilliant again today, but our man-of-the-match goes to Juan Smith. The Springbok was excellent long before his little one-two with JMFL to score the killer second try.
One surprisingly underdressed man brings out the Heineken Cup for its last ever presentation. We’ll miss you, buddy.
That’s all from us, folks.
Thanks for sticking with us through a final that was pretty awful viewing bar the two moments of genius that brought the game-deciding tries.
Here’s to Jonny. Here’s to Toulon. Here’s to the 19th and last Heineken Cup.
