By Gavin Rich.
Toulouse showed their class to advance to the Heineken Champions Cup semifinals with a comprehensive 54-20 victory at a pulsating Stade Ernest-Wallon on Saturday but they were pushed much more by the Cell C Sharks than that scoreline might suggest.
Indeed, for the first 66 minutes of a high-tempo, top quality and at times spectacular game, which was preceded by a minute’s silence for the late Natal and Sharks coach Ian McIntosh, who died earlier this week, the Sharks were in with a shout at pulling off a major upset. It was in the 66th minute that Curwin Bosch kicked a penalty that made it 26-20 to Toulouse and the Sharks were within a converted try of the lead.
However, Toulouse always looked capable of breaking the game apart with their class and attacking game and one of several moments of magic came from the boot of their brilliant fullback Thomas Ramos. It was his sublime field kick from a pressured position that set up an attacking lineout from which the ever-prominent hooker Peato Mauvuku drove over after space was created close to the line by the influential Toulouse and France captain Antoine Dupont.
The Ramos conversion made it a 13-point game and after that, the Sharks just fell apart as the hosts, spurred on by a passionate and noisy crowd, ran amok in the final minutes to hit the 50 mark, something that seemed highly unlikely for most of the match as the Sharks brought the passion, intensity and physicality they have so often lacked this season.
MARGINAL CALLS WENT AGAINST SHARKS
Let it be said too though that there were moments in the game where the reality of how hard it is to get the benefit of the marginal refereeing calls in away games in Europe hit home and cost the Sharks dearly. Sikhumbuzo Notshe was denied what looked like a good try in the first half on the basis that the referee saw an obstruction that certainly didn’t look clear on the replay.
Unfortunately, the on-field referee never referred it to the TMO. Had he done so, the off-field official might have ruled that the try should be awarded. Then later in the game, Grant Williams went over for what looked like his second try only for it to be referred to the TMO as Curwin Bosch was lining up the conversion. In one situation it was referred, in the other it was not, and surprise, surprise, it was the hosts that benefitted.
The Sharks started the game impressively and, in an extended first play, they showed they had come to play. The Sharks brought massive intensity to their effort and perhaps, even though the losing margin, in the end, was so wide, they made a point – the South African teams, once they get more used to the overseas venues and perhaps if the travel challenges can somehow be alleviated a bit, are going to be a force to be reckoned with in Europe.
THREATENED ON ATTACK
They certainly dazzled on attack like they seldom have this season, and take a bow Curwin Bosch, who produced some brilliant runs from the back, one of which led to the first try for Grant Williams, and could so easily have set up Williams’ brace had the TMO not gone back to check and found a forward pass.
Supersport’s in-studio expert Nick Mallett suggested that maybe Bosch should be tried again at fullback, a position he has played before in his career, and on the evidence of his dazzling attacking play in running kicks back from deep, Mallett has a point.
Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi was also huge both on attack and defence, with his tackle preventing what looked an almost certain early Toulouse try, and the flanker also featured strongly as a support player and carrier. Notshe was the man of the match against Munster in Durban the week before and wasn’t far from that form again on French soil.
An early clash of heads produced a yellow card against Toulouse, and it was the Sharks who dominated the first 10 minutes. Bosch raised the flags for the first points of the game from the resultant penalty. The Sharks led 3-0 and it could easily have been 10-0 after 15 minutes but for the questionable call against Notshe’s try.
Ramos equalised with a penalty but then the Sharks produced what could well go down as one of the tries of the season as Bosch weaved his way through the Toulouse defence in running from his own half and then transferring to the pacy Williams to complete the score.
TOULOUSE CAME BACK IN SECOND QUARTER
If the Sharks were dominant in the first quarter, it was Toulouse who were the stronger team in the second quarter, and after a strong driving maul, the ball was fed through the hands with the alacrity and precision needed to put wing Juan Cruz Mallia in at the corner. The try put the hosts into the lead for the first time with three minutes left in the half and a Ramos penalty made it 14-10 at halftime.
Toulouse looked like they’d wrapped up the game when they scored through Ramos six minutes into the second half and opened up an 11-point lead, but the Sharks were not done. In the 57th minute, Lukhanyo Am showed why he is so highly rated as a centre by producing the pinpoint long pass that put in Boeta Chamberlain for a great try that showed the Sharks’ intent. Had the late Williams score stood, it could have been a close game.
But Toulouse are considered the giants of the Champions Cup for a reason, and unfortunately, the Sharks were playing them on their home ground in Toulouse, where they are so hard to beat.
Scores
Toulouse 57 – Tries: Juan Cruz Mallia 2, Thomas Ramos 2, Peato Mauvuka, Arthur Retiere and Romain Ntamack; Conversions:Thomas Ramos 5; Penalties:Thomas Ramos 3.
Cell C Sharks 20 – Tries:Grant Williams and Boeta Chamgerlain, Conversion:Curwin Bosch; Penalty:Curwin Bosch.