SEVEN PENALTIES AND a late drop-goal from out-half Jonny Wilkinson proved more than enough for Toulon to join Clermont in next month’s Heineken Cup final.
In a battle of two bulky packs, Saracens could not create enough inroads in a star-studded southern French side and they duly fell 12-24 to their guests at Twickenham.
Both sides arrived into the game knowing their kickers would have to be mercilessly accurate and Saracens and England 10 Owen Farrell matched Wilkinson kick-for-kick for 39 minutes.
His attempt from the halfway line on the stroke of half time failed to split the posts as both sides struggled to stay in Alain Rollaind’s good books in a first half which ended 9-12 in the visitors’ favour.
With England’s past and present out-halves in direct competition, the remaining 28 players have been reduced to supporting roles, but the pack battle and the back-row duel between Kelly Brown and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe has been even intriguing with space and opportunities to run few and far between.
Covering
The Top 14 side came closest to a maximum score in the 15th minute. Leading 6-3, Alexis Palisson received a reversed pass from Matt Giteau deep in his own half and was able to race straight through the middle of Twickenham.
With Farrell covering, the wing opted to chip ahead and Delon Armitage was faced with a race for the bouncing ball. The ball agonisingly beat him to the sideline this time, but Farrell had been tempted into dropping a shoulder as Palisson kicked on and Wilkinson was able to add his third penalty of the day.
Saracens, in front of a half-full adopted home, created their only real opening 10 minutes before the break when David Strettle broke into space on the left. He too took on the option to kick ahead and the try chance was lost, but the field position gave rise to another Farrell penalty forced by Saracens’ feverish efforts at the breakdown.
The second half offered more intense, tight rugby with only penalties looking to separate the sides.. After Wilkinson had stretched the lead one kick further, Danie Roussouw’s 49th minute yellow card handed a lifeline to the home side.
On review, Rollaind’s call seemed on harsh on on the Springbok as he caught Mako Vunipola with trailing hand. From the penalty Farrell made the score 12-15, but that was the only score the Premiership side could muster in the sin-bin period.
Vunipola’s carrying provided the next chance for the hosts as they looked to maximise the impact of Toulon’s punishment. However, after the prop had forced a breakthrough into the 22, Farrell contrived to butcher the opportunity, passing a metre forward with black shirts waiting on an overlap to his left.
At the other end Toulon’s remaining back-rows Chris Masoe and Fernandez-Lobbe forced an opportunity for Wilkinson to cancel out the effect of Roussouw’s sideline stint. Once the South African returned, the French club only grew in strength and belief.
With Saracens’s frustration increasing with every passing second, Wilkinson made Farrell’s anguish even worse as he got a late drop-goal attempt away just before the young pretender could reach him. The 33-year-old followed that up with a seventh penalty to give Clermont plenty to ponder before the sides meet at the Aviva Stadium on 18 May.
