Perpignan 29 - 25 Toulon: Perpignan dash Wilkinson's Euro dream

Published on Friday 8 April 2011 18:33

Perpignan thwarted Jonny Wilkinson's hopes of playing in a first Heineken Cup semi-final after beating their arch-rivals 29-25 in Barcelona.

Wilkinson, who missed Newcastle's only appearance in a Heineken Cup final in 2005 through injury, kicked four from five attempts but failed to inspire his team in both his, and the club's, first appearance in the last eight of Europe's top club competition.

Instead it was another England international, former Test prop Perry Freshwater, who was the hero of the game - scoring Perpignan's winning try ten minutes from time.

Toulon outscored their opponents three tries to two following scores from George Smith, Joe van Niekerk and a late consolation effort by Fabien Cibray.

But they failed to capitalise on their first-half domination during which Perpignan were twice reduced to 14 men following yellow cards.

The Catalans turned the tables after the break through Adrien Plante and the boot of Jerome Porical before Freshwater's score capped an impressive second-half display by the 2003 cup finalists.

A record crowd for a Heineken Cup quarter-final of 55,000 basked in the sunshine within Barcelona's Olympic Stadium to vindicate Perpignan's decision to take their home tie to the Catalan capital.

They must have feared they had thrown away home advantage when they trailed 11-6 at the end of an indisciplined opening 40 minutes. Lock Guillaume Vilaceca was shown a yellow card for reckless play at a ruck,

They survived the 10-minute sin bin and Porical levelled on 31 minutes only for Vilaceca's second-row partner Robins Tchale-Watchou to be ordered to the sin bin for a high tackle.

But Perpignan roared back in the second half and Cibray's injury-time score merely softened the blow on the scoreboard for Toulon, who suffered European heartache for a second season after losing the Amlin Challenge Cup final last year.

Scorers: Perpignan: Tries: Name, Name, Name. Cons: Name 3. Pens: Name 2. Toulon: Tries: Name, Name, Name. Cons: Name 3. Pens: Name 2.

Perpignan: Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name. Subs: Names, Here Name, Name, Name, Name.

Toulon: Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name, Name. Subs: Names, Here, Name, Name, Name, Name.

Referee: X Xxxxxxx. Attendance: xx,xxx