Toulon turn tables on Tigers
Two-time defending champions Toulon notched up a comprehensive 23-8 victory over Leicester in the European Champions Cup on Saturday.
Toulon, without Italian prop Martin Castrogiovanni after his expletive tirade aimed at Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill over reasons why he had left the English side, scored two tries through Ali Williams and Mathieu Bastareaud.
Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny kicked three penalties and two conversions as the Tigers could only respond with a Blaine Scully try and Owen Williams penalty.
Toulon almost got off to the perfect start when Springbok wing Bryan Habana latched on to the kick-off, passed inside to skipper Chris Masoe, whose offload to hooker Guilhem Guirado went too low with the line in sight.
Halfpenny got the scoreboard ticking with a penalty and was on hand to convert an 11th minute try from ex-All Black lock and man-of-the-match Ali Williams with Toulon's power showing in the loose.
Halfpenny nailed two more penalties, but Leicester's Welsh flyhalf Owen Williams struggled to find his mark at the posts and also badly miskicking from hand on two occasions.
The visitors finally battled back with a textbook approach and finish, American wing Scully scooting over in the corner after some great work by his forwards, Williams' conversion drifting wide to make it 16-5 at half-time.
Halfpenny missed an early penalty in the second period, but any concerns of a Leicester comeback were put to bed after Bastareaud barged over for a try after flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez carved open the defence, the Welsh fullback kicking the extras.
Williams hit his first penalty in the 57th minute, but Toulon closed the doors after that to sit out a comfortable win that leaves them atop Pool Three on 13 points.
"For me today it's the way we came back from last week," said Ali Williams in reference to the Tigers' 25-21 victory over Toulon at home last week.
Toulouse consolidated their place atop Pool Four with their hard-fought 12-9 victory over Glasgow.
Sebastien Bezy kicked four penalties, two in each half, to three by Glasgow from flyhalf Finn Russell and his replacement Duncan Weir.
The result left Toulouse with 16 points from four wins from four games, with Bath now in second, six points adrift, after picking up a bonus point in their 32-12 victory over Montpellier on Friday.
High-profile convert Sam Burgess made his full Bath debut in the win, setting up the first of his team's four tries at their Recreation Ground home, but it was wing Matt Banahan who stole the headlines with a hat-trick.
In Pool Five Northampton thrashed Italian whipping boys Treviso 67-0 in a bonus-point victory.
All of Saturday's scores and scorers:
Racing Metro 18-14 Ospreys
The scorers:
For Racing-Métro:
Tries: Imhoff, Thomas
Con: Goosen
Pens: Goosen 2
For Ospreys:
Tries: Webb, Walker
Cons: Biggar 2
Teams:
Racing Metro: 15 Brice Dulin; 14 Juan Imhoff, 13 Henry Chavancy, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Teddy Thomas; 10 Johannes Goosen, 9 Maxime Machenaud, 8 Antonie Claassen 7 Bernard Le Roux, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Francois van der Merwe, 4 Juandre Kruger, 3 Luc Ducalcon, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (captain), 1 Julien Brugnaut.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Luke Charteris, 20 Camille Gerondeau, 21 Mike Phillips, 22 Yoan Audrin, 23 Benjamin Dambielle.
Ospreys: 15 Daniel Evans; 14 Hanno Dirksen, 13 Ashley Beck, 12 Josh Matavesi, 11 Eli Walker; 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Tyler Ardron 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 James King, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones (captain), 4 Rynier Bernardo, 3 Dmitri Arhip, 2 Scott Baldwin, 1 Marc Thomas.
Replacements: 16 Sam Parry, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Dan Suter, 19 Olly Cracknell, 20 Sam Lewis, 21 Martin Roberts, 22 Sam Davies , 23 Andrew Bishop.
Toulouse 12-9 Glasgow Warriors
The scorers:
For Glasgow Warriors:
Pens: Russell, Weir 2
For Toulouse:
Pens: Bezy 4
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Richie Vernon, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Tommy Seymour, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 8 Josh Strauss (captain) 7 Robert Harley, 6 Ryan Wilson, 5 Jonny Gray, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Jon Welsh, 2 Pat MacArthur, 1 Ryan Grant.
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Euan Murray, 19 Leone Nakarawa, 20 Niko Matawalu, 21 Duncan Weir, 22 Peter Horne, 23 Sean Lamont.
Toulouse: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Yann David, 12 Gaël Fickou, 11 Maxime Médard, 10 Jean-Marc Doussain, 9 Sébastien Bézy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga (captain), 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Joe Tekori, 3 Census Johnston, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Vasil Kakovin, 18 Kisi Pulu, 19 Romain Millo-chluski, 20 Gregory Lamboley, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Vicent Clerc, 23 Alexis Palisson.
Saracens 28-15 Sale Sharks
The scorers:
For Saracens:
Tries: Goode, Ransom, B Vunipola
Cons: Farrell 2
Pens: Farrell 3
For Sale Sharks:
Tries: Hines, Lewis-Roberts
Con: Ford
Pen: Macleod
Teams:
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Chris Wyles, 12 Duncan Taylor, 11 David Strettle, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Kelly Brown, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (captain), 4 George Kruis, 3 Petrus du Plessis, 2 Jamie George, 1 Mako Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 James Johnston, 19 Jim Hamilton, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Neil de Kock, 22 Charlie Hodgson, 23 Ben Ransom.
Sale Sharks: 15 Michael Haley, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Will Addison, 12 Mark Jennings, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Nick MacLeod, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Josh Beaumont, 7 Dan Braid (captain), 6 Mark Easter, 5 Andrei Ostrikov, 4 Nathan Hines, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 2 Shalva Mamukashvili, 1 Ross Harrison.
Replacements: 16 Cameron Neild, 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 18 James Flynn, 19 Jon Mills, 20 Andrew Hughes, 21 Nathan Fowles, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Andy Forsyth.
Leinster 14-13 Harlequins
The scorers:
For Leinster:
Try: Boss
Pens: Madigan 3
For Harlequins:
Try: Brown
Con: Swiel
Pens: Swiel 2
Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Zane Kirchner, 13 Luke Fitzgerald, 12 Ian Madigan, 11 Darragh Fanning, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Isaac Boss, 8 Jamie Heaslip (captain), 7 Dominic Ryan, 6 Rhys Ruddock, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Devin Toner, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Jack McGrath.
Replacements: 16 Bryan Byrne, 17 Michael Bent, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Mike McCarthy, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Mick McGrath.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 George Lowe, 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Jack Clifford, 6 Luke Wallace, 5 George Robson, 4 Charlie Matthews, 3 Will Collier, 2 Dave Ward, 1 Joe Marler (captain).
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Sam Twomey, 20 Joe Trayfoot, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Tom Casson, 23 Ross Chisholm.
Toulon 23-8 Leicester Tigers
The scorers:
For Toulon:
Tries: Williams, Bastareaud
Cons: Halfpenny 2
Pens: Halfpenny 3
For Leicester Tigers:
Try: Scully
Pen: Williams
Teams:
Toulon: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Delon Armitage, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Chris Masoe (captain) 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Juan Smith, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Levan Chilachava, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Alexandre Menini.
Replacements:16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Florian Fresia, 18 Carl Hayman, 19 Mamuka Gorgodze, 20 James O'Connor, 21 Jocelino Suta, 22 Michael Claassens, 23 Romain Taofifenua.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Matthew Tait, 14 Blaine Scully, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Owen Williams, 9 Ben Youngs (captain), 8 Robert Barbieri 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements:16 Tom Youngs, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Jordan Crane, 21 Tom Croft, 22 Sam Harrison, 23 Freddie Burns.
Northampton Saints 67-0 Treviso
The scorers:
For Northampton Saints:
Tries: Penalty try, North, Fotuali'i, K Pisi 3, G Pisi, Manoa 3, Foden
Cons: Myler 4, Wilson 2
For Treviso:
None
Teams:
Northampton Saints: 15 James Wilson, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Tom Stephenson, 11 George North, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Phil Dowson, 7 Tom Wood, 6 Calum Clark, 5 Courtney Lawes, 4 Sam Dickinson, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Dylan Hartley (captain), 1 Ethan Waller.
Replacements: 16 Mike Haywood, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 Christian Day, 20 Samu Manoa, 21 Lee Dickson, 22 Luther Burrell, 23 Ben Foden.
Treviso: 15 Jayden Hayward; 14 Simone Ragusi, 13 Luca Morisi, 12 Enrico Bacchin, 11 Ludovico Nitoglia, 10 Joe Carlisle, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Mathew Henry Luamanu, 7 Francesco Minto, 6 Meyer Swanepoel, 5 Marco Fuser, 4 Antonio Pavanello (captain), 3 Matteo Muccignat, 2 Albert Alfred Anae, 1 Matteo Zanusso.
Replacements: 16 Amar Kudin, 17 Josè Francisco Novak, 18 Romulo Acosta, 19 Tomas Vallejos, 20 Marco Lazzaroni, 21 Simone Favaro, 22 Ruggero Trevisan, 23 James Ambrosini.