McAlister: 27 points for Toulouse
Toulouse handed Top 14 leaders Toulon their first defeat of the season with an impressive 32-9 victory at the Stadium de Toulouse on Saturday.
The result sees Toulon lose the championship lead as Clermont move into top spot thanks to their superior points difference.
Former All Black Luke McAlister was the star of the show, scoring 27 points for the defending champions Toulouse.
In pouring rain, the 29-year-old fly-half hardly put a foot wrong, kicking three penalties and scoring the first try of the game inside the first 30 minutes.
Number eight Gillian Galan won quick ball off the line-out and fed scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain, who released the charging McAlister.
He burst through an inviting gap in the Toulon defences and shrugged off two desperate tackles before diving for the try beneath the posts.
He added the conversion for a 16-0 lead before opposite number Frederic Michalak got a much-changed Toulon side on the board with a penalty awarded when Toulouse strayed offside.
McAlister then returned to centre-stage with a fourth successful penalty for a 19-3 lead at the break.
McAlister and Michalak exchanged penalties as Toulouse stretched out to 25-9, their territorial dominance aided by seeing Toulon's Welsh international prop Gethin Jenkins sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Louis Picamoles.
Lock forward Yoann Maestri grabbed Toulouse's second try in the 77th minute before McAlister had the last say with a confident conversion.
The scorers:
For Toulouse:
Tries: McAlister, Maestri
Con: McAlister 2
Pens: McAlister 5
For Toulon:
Pens: Michalak 3
Yellow cards: Jenkins
Toulouse: 15 Yoann Huget, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Gael Fickou, 11 Timoci Matanavou, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Jean Marc Doussain, 8 Gillian Galan, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Romain Millo Chlusky, 3 Census Johnston, 2 Christopher Tolofua, 1 Jean Batiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Gregory Lamboley, 19 Louis Picamoles, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Yannick Jauzion, 22 Clement Poitrenaud, 23 Yohan Montes.
Toulon: 15 Luke Rooney, 14 David Smith, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Geoffroy Messina, 11 Benjamin Lapeyre, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Nicolas Durand, 8 Virgile Bruni, 7 Nick Kennedy, 6 Pierrick Gunther, 5 Simon Shaw, 4 Konstantine Mikautadze, 3 Xavier Chiocci, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements: 16 Mickael Ivaldi, 17 Florian Fresia, 18 Chris Masoe, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Matt Giteau, 21 Steffon Armitage, 22 Alexis Palisson, 23 Carl Hayman.
Venue: Stadium de Toulouse
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Comments
pierredelot1 says...
Well Toulouse firsts beat Toulons seconds with a bit to spare even though the ref was a bit of a homer to say the least. But toulon came to limit losses and Toulouse to win and the best team won. However I still resent paying more than 50 Euros to see a top of the table game where one side doesn't make the effort to win. Don't care what the excuse Mons Laporte, put your second team out for a bottom of the table side. McAlister was the best player on the park by some margin and despite the endless moans from those in the SH, the guy has really found his form, seems to have dropped a couple of kilos this season and his pace over 30yards impressive. Hopefully this will get Toulouse back in winning ways, Fickou in the centre is a silky smooth operator and we may be seeing the beginnings of a new back line in development, long may it continue. Leicester in a couple of weeks will be a good test, but it's not difficult to guess the style of play they will bring to the party(That hasn't changed in years) so the Heinekin should be set in motion early. Bring it on.
Posted 13:10 01st October 2012