Munster lead French giants Toulouse at break
Toulouse 3, Munster 6 (half-time)
Ronan O’Gara gave Munster a 6-3 lead against French giants Toulouse as they targeted a third Heineken Cup final appearance in four seasons today.
The Irish international fly-half landed a drop-goal and penalty, hoisting Munster six points ahead before Toulouse number 10 Yann Delaigue slotted an injury-time penalty in front of a capacity 36,000 semi-final crowd at Le Stadium de Toulouse, to half the deficit.
A minute’s silence was held before kick-off in memory of International Rugby Board chairman Vernon Pugh, who died yesterday.
The rain began falling again as the game swung into action, ensuring a lightning-fast surface, and Munster fly-half Ronan O’Gara was first to test Toulouse’s defence, hoofing a huge up-and-under into opposition territory, but it was well dealt with by wing Emile Ntamack.
Toulouse flanker Jean Bouilhou went off in the fourth minute, nursing a head wound, and was replaced by Finau Maka, before Munster narrowly failed to open their account when O’Gara sent a 50-metre penalty strike wide.
The opening exchanges provided predictably frenzied action, but Munster could feel satisfied with an intense opening 10 minutes as they shaded the territorial battle.
Toulouse fired a warning signal on 11 minutes though, when fly-half Yann Delaigue’s testing kick sent Munster into reverse and established a threatening attacking position just eight metres out.
But Munster cleared the danger, skipper Jim Williams leading a charge up the field, and the Irish side continued pressing before taking a 15th-minute lead when O’Gara dropped a 20-metre goal.
O’Gara continued to dominate the action, and a 40-metre touchfinder ensured that Toulouse remained on the back foot as an invigorating opening quarter reached its conclusion.
O’Gara doubled Munster’s advantage with an angled short-range penalty - Bouilhou had returned to the action by this stage – and it stung Toulouse into action, with Delaigue continuing his probing kicking game.
Munster full-back Jeremy Staunton coped well under the high ball, which epitomised a seemingly rock-solid defensive effort as the visitors continued to quell Toulouse’s attempted attacking adventure.
Toulouse looked dangerous from broken play, yet they appeared the more nervous team, which was illustrated through centre Xavier Garbajosa’s wild pass to full-back Clement Poitrenaud, just when Munster looked stretched.
Munster lost a degree of momentum approaching the half-hour mark, and Toulouse gained their first penalty goal opportunity on 31 minutes, but Delaigue sent his left-footed kick drifting wide.
It was a let-off for Munster, whose response was to drive through their forwards from the restart, leaving Toulouse to rue a missed opportunity in what looked as though it would be a tight game.
O’Gara was narrowly wide with his third penalty attempt six minutes before the break, yet Toulouse still could not settle, and they resorted to running from deep, which confirmed their unsettled state.
Scrum-half Frederic Michalak hammered the ball straight into touch, just when Toulouse needed a degree of composure, and O’Gara showed him exactly how it should be done by producing another booming kick which kept Munster ticking over.
Delaigue’s 38th-minute break caused temporary alarm – the move ended when Toulouse’s former Gloucester prop Patrice Collazo spilled possession – and Munster had once again absorbed their opponents’ best attacking efforts like a giant sponge.
Toulouse threatened again during time added on, and Delaigue’s injury-time penalty made the interval score 6-3 in Munster’s favour.
