After an impeccable first act, Toulon won with the offensive bonus against Harlequins (33-21). Facing the semi-finalists of the last edition, the Varois confirmed their current good form. With this third success in as many matches on the continental scene, Pierre Mignoni’s men retain first place in Pool 4 and qualify for the rest of the competition.
Rhythm from the start of the match. The Toulonnais pressed their opponents from the start. Toulon took the lead with a try from Abadie, well converted by Serin, bringing the score to 7-0 after less than two minutes. The RCT continued to put pressureand despite a few attempts by the English, they managed to score a second try in the 25th minute. Serin, author of a superb feint, scored this try after a beautiful feint and added it with an easy transformation to bring the score to 14-0.
The Harlequins suffered the game of Toulonnais, and their discipline was put to the test. In the 35th minute, they saw Chisholm given a yellow card for a foul, which added to the pressure. Before half-time, Toulon widened the gap thanks to another try from Wainiqolo, after a passing error by the English defense (24-0). Abadie, very active again, scored an additional try just before the break, bringing the score to 19-0, Toulon seemed to dominate from start to finish.
A return that did not last
Returning from the locker room, Harlequins tried to react. They managed to reduce the gap with a try scored by Porter (26-5), converted by Smith (26-7). However, Drean’s try in the 59th minute, after a great individual action, restored a comfortable lead to Toulon, who found themselves at 33-14. The English were no longer able to reverse the trend and Toulon managed their lead and their bonus point perfectly. Although David scored one last try for Harlequins on the last possession (33-19), Toulon won.
The match ended with a successful conversion by Smith for Harlequins (33-21), but that did not change the result. Toulon won a logical victory and consolidated its place at the top of the group. They could thus prepare calmly for the rest of the competition, with a solid first place to defend.
