Toulon overcome the odds in Dublin to claim European glory

Toulon overcame fierce French rivals ASM Clermont Auvergne 16-15 in an adrenaline-charged 2013 Heineken Cup final in Dublin Saturday to claim the grandest European title available in rugby union amid the joy and tears of coaches and players of the Rouge et Noir.

In a brutally bruising all-Gallic bout that boasted 28 international players in the starting 30, a try from English full-back Delon Armitage and 11 points from the unerring left boot of captain Jonny Wilkinson took the big money spenders from the French Mediterranean coast to an astonishing win against the run of the majority of the match.

Clermont’s omnipresent European demons once again emerged in the closing quarter of the all-French affair. Les Jaunards once again stumbled at the final furlong, leaving Ireland empty handed despite being the dominant team for so much of the match.

A moment of rugby genius from Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, which set Armitage up for his try, along with Wilkinson’s unwavering composure – so long a thorn in French sides’ sides – and a resilient defensive effort lead by man-of-the-match Mathieu Bastareau, allowed Toulon to don the cloak of Heineken Cup glory.

The all-French battle was well and truly underway under Dublin’s skies when talisman met talisman in a shuddering open field clash; Aurélien Rougerie belligerently knocking Wilkinson backwards in a collision that stoked both captain’s and the crowd’s embers early on.

Morgan Parra opened the scoring as early as the third minute with a calmly taken penalty 35-meters from goal, taking Clermont to a 3-0 lead, after an aerial opening exchange tested both team’s quarter backs under the high ball.

Toulon’s number 10 and English leader was inevitably the source of Toulon’s first points with a three point penalty 12 minutes in to tie the scores up.

Following Wilkinson’s three pointer, Clermont felt their way into the game and started dominating and the looming threat of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Napolioni Nalanga and Wesley Fofana begun to explore gaps in the Toulon defensive wall.

But a battering defensive ethic, which bordered on shoulder-charging illegality at times, kept the Top 14 league winners at bay. Toulon racked up 75 tackles compared to Clermont’s 58 in the opening half.

Toulon’s steely determination was nearly broken by Brock James who just failed to round-off a moment of individual brilliance having chipped the ball over Fernandez Lobbe’s head into the dead ball area and losing out to the dead ball line by the slightest of kitten’s whiskers.

Though Clermont had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory in the first 40 minutes, as the curtains on the first half drew, with both teams deadlocked at 3-3, the final result was still finely balanced on the edge of a plasma screen.

Clermont exploded out of the blocks in the second half when Nalanga flew up the left wing and touched down for five points within two minutes of the restart. The volcanic Fijian winger latched onto the ball after Sivivatu turned the ball over in the midfield on half-way, Clermont shifted the ball wide quickly through the hands of Parra and Rougerie to gift Nalanga the few yards of space he needed to clinically finish from 20 meters out.

The final finally effervesced, as it had threatened to do in the first half, and despite the metronomic accuracy of Captain Wilkinson, who slotted Toulon’s second penalty of the match, taking it to 8-6, the ever-alert Rougerie latched onto a loose ball, brushing Wilkinson aside and setting Brock James free to touch down from less than 15 meters out.

Clermont’s fly-half, who came agonisingly close to scoring a try in the first-half found himself at the right place at the right time to benefit from a lapse in concentration among the Toulon back line. Parra converted from the kicking tee to make it a 15-6 scoreline to delight fans gathered at the Place de Jaude.

But even though Clermont were enjoying 72 per cent possession 56 minutes into the second half, Toulon’s ace in the hole reminded Dublin and France that Toulon weren’t out of this fixture. Wilkinson tucked away his, and his team’s third penalty goal of the final from thirty yards out towards the left flank, to take Toulon within six points of the lead.

Then from nothing, Armitage got Toulon back on the front foot and set the Irish capacity stadium alight.

An inspired turnover and offload from Toulon’s Argentinian flanker Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe a Fofana in full flow, knocked the Clermont centre backwards and then line basketball-style chest-passed the ball to Armitage who had a free 40 meter saunter to the try line.

The English full-back even took the time and found the temerity to throw a sarcastic wave to the chasing James before diving over the line. Wilkinson, maintaining his incredible record of not missing from the kicking tee in the Heineken Cup playoffs, added the conversion to take Toulon to a one point lead at 16-15.

Signs that their European demons were nagging at Clermont’s heels once again were suddenly manifest. And despite visiting the Toulon 22 with regularity in the last 10 minutes, handling errors and a rapid depreciating clock were conspiring against them as they attempted to gain the territory and position to work substitute fly-half David Skrella into position for a potentially trophy-winning drop goal.

In a thrilling climax, when try-scorer Armitage sliced a clearance kick off the outside of his right boot, after Toulon had weathered a sustained storm, Clermont applied the pressure again in the 78th minute from a line-out in the 22. When the ball finally broke to Skrella a charging Jonny Wilkinson charged down his opposite number’s shot at winning the game.

A last gasp effort from Clermont to cross the whitewash resulted in a knock-on on the right flank from the impressive Sivivatu.

Toulon were crowned champions of Europe having overcame the better team on the day by defended their line with unrivalled heroism, lead by Mathieu Bastareaud.