Wasted chances: Toulouse struggled in the line-outs
Toulouse skipper Thierry Dusautoir was a frustrated man after Sunday's agonising loss to Leicester at Welford Road.
The 9-5 defeat saw the four-time champions crash out of the tournament as they left 17 points by the wayside from the kicking tee and were refused a try by the TMO, who was unable to see clear evidence of the ball being grounded.
"There are regrets because we played a better match than Leicester," said Dusautoir after the game.
"We were generally on top overall. We just didn't take our chances.
"In seven years, it's the second time that we're not in the quarter-finals. We're a big club and we'll take lessons from this elimination.
"The conditions were really bad with wind and snow. We had a go nevertheless and created opportunities and we scored a try.
"Our elimination was not just down to today, if we had always played like that we would have easily finished first.
"We lost a lot of balls at the line-outs that we could have used. We really need to be better there."
Iconic Toulouse coach Guy Novès was stoic in defeat.
"Destiny decided Stade Toulousain wouldn't go into the quarter-finals this year," said Novès.
"Everyone saw that we left nearly 25 points by the wayside. 17 points from the boot with penalties that were kickable. It's the first time that I saw us fail that badly in that sector.
"We almost have to laugh at ourselves.
"We saw a real Toulouse team that had the opportunity to score 30 points but due to lack of finishing ended up only scoring 5. "
Comments
lacroix says...
leicester were poor-played no rugby at all, apart from a brilliant professional piece of gamesmanship by flood to earn a yellow card and prevent a match winning try for toulouse. yes, toulouse were dreadful for most of the game and like the ospreys they gifted the game to leicester by missing their kicks. so, toulouse deserved to lose but leicester hardly deserved a win....they're a mediocre team at their very best...they'll need to produce something they haven't for years to spare embarassment at toulon.
as for lawynd's alleged toulouse scrummaging infringements- complete nonsense- we've been down this road before . and being at the game doesn't qualify you to make calls on line out throws being straight or not- in fact it means your view would have been less informed than anyone watching tv...doh.
Posted 14:35 21st January 2013
Rosbif says...
Oh dear. A little background perhaps. ST have been getting slammed at home by their fans and the press for not showing any spirit in recent games. Dusautoir and the players hence promised they would really "go out and play" and would not die wondering in this game. (Shame, they might have done better not trying to play so much, but that's another story...) So, his comments, while they appear ungracious, are directed at answering that question posed in the French press. Also, not helped by PR translating it to the title: "we were better than them". That is absolutely not what Dusautoir is saying. He means: "we tried to play more rugby than them" and that's not the same thing at all.....
Anyway, most of the fans have been aware for some time that all is not well at ST. Hopefully this is the kick up the backside that the club needs. Let's get some real coaches for next season, give more game time to our academy/younger players (Bezy might have been a better shout than Beauxis yesterday), and if we really want to spend some money, let's buy a decent pair of half backs, eg Fotuali'i and Carter would be fine by me :-)
Good luck Leicester. You totally deserved it yesterday. The irony is that a majority of French rugby fans will probably be cheering for you at Mayol in April!
Posted 14:20 21st January 2013
melkdave says...
Nothing new really is it.How many times have we posters said so and so where the better team ,but lost.You can play the most sublime andexpansive rugby ever,but if you dont put points on the scoreboard.It counts for nothing.English teams learnt this lesson along time ago,They arnt always pretty now,but they are becomingmore effiecent.at wining games.
Posted 13:41 21st January 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Um... no. Your ball carriers were better, but your kickers, lineout and scrum were either absolutley rubbish or gained parity at best.
Still, it's always funny to see a Frenchman whining all the home after getting a clip round the ear'ole by us English. :)
Posted 13:19 21st January 2013
JamieTheProp says...
The old adage - there's no room on the scoresheet for comments!
The best team always wins because the best team are the ones with most points.
Be as frustrated as you want! You aren't in the quarters and that is that!
Posted 12:55 21st January 2013
TVaddict says...
Yes Toulouse were better. Except in the lineout. Also in their goal kicking, or lack of it). Oh, and on the score board to.
Posted 12:45 21st January 2013
lawynd says...
@pantreac - you need a trip to the optometrist sunshine. I was at the game and Clancy never once called Toulouse throwing the ball straight into the chest of the jumper, plus there's the aforementioned incident where Parling was taken out, which should have at least been a yellow card. And how about the Toulouse front row's illegal scrummaging for the entire game? Several of the penalties that you didn't slot were also harsh on the player attempting to turn the ball over, given that Toulouse also went straight off their feet at every single breakdown.
I'd perhaps reconsider making complaints after your team conspires to play so poorly...
Posted 12:15 21st January 2013
physiodan says...
The lineout where Parling was up ended and resulted in a penalty to Leicster could so easily have been yellow or red. Thankfully it was made less severe by Ayerza having the stregth to catch him. If Parling falls and lands on his head its bye bye Toulouse lock, instead they were lucky just to have a penalty against them. Imagine how quickly the scrum would have gone backwards then?
Also, as Cockerill reported, it was a game that was made easier without the ball. Hmmm... I therefore think Leicester played that game plan and relied on a good defence to keep Toulouse out.
Yes if Toulouse had put the points on the board then perhaps they may have won, but this may also have changed Leicester game plan. The score says 9:5 and the history books will always show that.
Posted 11:51 21st January 2013
paddy91317 says...
im afraid not theirry the proof is in the pudding, you lost
Posted 11:06 21st January 2013
stuart10 says...
Toulouse were lucky that the TMO wasn't used for the Huget try as he clearly knocked on before going over the whitewash !
And guess what, it was snowing for both sides
Posted 11:04 21st January 2013
physiodan says...
Get over yourselves. You lost because you didn't play that well. You were held up on one try and then the one you scored had more than a hint of a knock on. Leicester played the conditions well and showed you how to scrummage. Toulouse, once a mighty force in Europe have started to fall by the wayside and here's to ASM in the Top14.
Posted 10:49 21st January 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Agreed. But Leicester would also be better on another day. They were missing some players and weather effects them too. Suffered an early injury. Toulouse should have won, were better on the day but there is not so much between them to confidently say they are better.
Posted 10:47 21st January 2013
heathy says...
I predicted this result in the preview as I knew, due to weather conditions, that it wouldn't be pretty and Leicester would be better at the 'playing to conditions' than the French. The French did play the better rugby and really should have won the game comfortably. I agree with Dusautoir in the fact that Toulouse were the team that created the most chances BUT did not take them. Shocking goal kicking display. However, had Toulouse also played a lot better early on in the tournament then they would have qualified BEFORE playing the Tigers as so looking at the bigger picture they only have themselves to blame. Leicester were fortunate and haven't played that well for a couple of seasons now. Toulon will not make the same mistakes and will progress in this draw. I've got high hopes for Harlequins and Saracens though as I think an English side could win this.
Posted 10:35 21st January 2013
pantreac says...
As the photograph above shows Leicester were illegal in almost every line-out with Deacon interfering with the jumper. The refs appear to allow the home side to not only 'spoil' opposing teams line-out throws but never insist on the ball being thrown in down the middle . The touch judge never appears to signal a crooked (not straight) throw or call the refs attention to the thrower-in being over the line! Why?
In both the Leicester and Munster matches yesterday the officials allowed both of the home teams to illegally contest the line-outs!
When I played, some time ago the refs used to exercise control over the line-out and scrums. The not straight put ins in the scrum are a disgrace!
Posted 10:21 21st January 2013