Toulouse edge out Racing Metro

Editor

A late try from Yannick Jauzion saw Toulouse claim a 41-36 win over Racing Metro in their Top 14 clash on Saturday.

A late try from Yannick Jauzion saw Toulouse claim a 41-36 win over Racing Metro in their Top 14 clash on Saturday.

Just three games into the new campaign, Toulouse and Racing produced what will go down as one of the games of the season.

With many stars doing duty in the World Cup, those left behind in France served a reminder that there is still heaps of quality left in the Top 14 with two giants of the league sharing in a seven-try thriller.

It was Racing who announced their presence with a bang as winger Sireli Bobo crossed the whitewash in just the third minute, rounding off a move that began on the Racing 22m line.

Toulouse bounced-back with tries from flanker Yannick Nyanga and centre Yannick Jauzion.

Luke McAlister and Jonathan Wisniewski traded penalties to keep the scoreline close before a third try for Toulouse, this time through full-back Clement Poitrenaud, on the stroke of half-time saw the men in red and black go into the break 25-16 up.

As was the case in the first half, it was the men from Paris who were out the blocks quickest. In the first thirty minutes of the second period, the visitors notched up converted tries through Virimi Vakatawa and Jacques Cronje as well as two penalties. In the same period, Toulouse managed just one three-pointer from the boot of their Kiwi fly-half.

Carrying an eight point lead heading into the last ten minutes, Racing must have fancied their chances of extending their dominance to the final whistle. Toulouse had other ideas.

With Racing replacement prop Eddy Ben Arous sent to the sin bin in the 70th minute, the home side sensed they had a chance.

A McAlister penalty nine minutes from time put Toulouse within striking distance and Yannick Jauzion dived over in the corner two minutes later to draw Toulouse level. McAlister ahead the extras to put his side ahead and added a penalty soon after to secure an incredible victory.

The scorers

For Toulouse:
Try: Nyanga, Jauzion 2, Poitrenaud
Con: McAlister 3
Pen: McAlister 5

For Racing Metro:
Try: Bobo, Vakatawa, Cronje
Con: Wisniewski 2, Germain
Pen: Wisniewski 3, Germain 2

Yellow card: Ben Arous (Racing Metro)

Toulouse: 15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Vilimoni Delasau, 13 Yann David, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Yves Donguy, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Jean Marc Doussai, 8 Gilian Galan, 7 Sylvain Nicolas, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Gregory Lamboley, 3 Yohan Montes, 2 Eusebio Guinazu, 1 Carl Hoeft.
Replacements: 16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Yassine Boutemane, 18 Russlan Boukerou, 19 Shaun Sowerby, 20 Nicolas Bezy, 21 Florian Fritz, 22 Timoci Matanavou, 23 Johnson Falefa.

Racing Metro: 15 Benjamin Fall, 14 Sireli Bobo, 13 Henry Chavancy, 12 Guilliaume Bousses, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Jonathan Wisniewski, 9 Mathieu Loree, 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Jone Qovu Naliko, 6 Antoine Battut, 5 Francois Van der Merwe, 4 Karim Ghezal, 3 Benjamin Salemane Sa, 2 Grégory Arganese, 1 Julien Brugnaut.
Replacements: 16 Thomas Bianchin, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Santiago Dellape, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Sebastien Descons, 21 Gaetan Germain, 22 Remy Vaquin, 23 Juan Pablo Orlandi.

Referee: Laurent Cardona