Toulouse and Saints force way into Heineken Cup semi-finals

Published on Sunday 10 April 2011 20:44

Holders Toulouse advanced to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup when they beat Biarritz 27-20 in extra time yesterday after Biarritz had come back from 17-0 down to level the scores in the 80th minute.

In the repeat of last year's final Toulouse looked home and dry when they led 17-0 at half-time but Dimitri Yachvili's boot and Ilikena Bolakoro's try brought Biarritz level.

Yachvili missed what would have been the match-winning touchline conversion and was then charged down by replacement Yannick Nyanga at the end of extra time.

Earlier, Northampton rediscovered the form that gave them six wins out of six in the pool stage - including two over Edinburgh - with a well-deserved 23-13 victory over Ulster in their home game played at Milton Keynes Stadium.

The English side will have home country advantage again in their semi-final against Perpignan who beat Toulon 29-25 in Barcelona on Saturday.

Toulouse, seeking a fifth Heineken Cup, must travel to Dublin to play Leinster following the Irish team's 17-10 home win over Leicester on Saturday.

The French side looked to be cruising as a brilliant Cedric Heymans try and another for Maxime Medard helped them to a 17-0 half-time lead to silence the travelling army of Biarritz fans who had invaded Spain's San Sebastian for the day.

Biarritz clawed their way back with four Yachvili penalties and he then charged down a David Skrela kick and Bolakoro scooped it up to touch down in the corner and level the scores.

Yachvili lined up the touchline conversion but drifted it wide, to take the game into extra time.

Toulouse struck early in the extra period with a Skrela penalty and though Yachvili levelled again three minutes from time it was his turn to be charged down by Nyanga for the decisive try.

In their Heineken Cup quarter-final, Northampton also flew out of the blocks and scored after two minutes when Tongan Soane Tonga'uiha forced his way over.

Two Ian Humphreys penalties and an Andrew Trimble try put Ulster ahead but it proved to be the final score by the Irish province, in the last eight for the first time since they won the competition 12 years ago.

Stephen Myler penalties either side of half-time levelled it at 13-13 and Northampton stretched the lead to 20-13 with a brilliant counter-attacking try as England colleagues Ben Foden and Chris Ashton exchanged passes to set up Lee Dickson.

Northampton gradually took command up front and Myler finished it off with another penalty.

"In a good team you need a powerful set of forwards and some class finishers out wide," said Northampton's director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

"We're fortunate that we have both of those. In Ashton, Foden and Paul Diggin we have good finishers.Give them half a chance and they'll always be dangerous.

"We got stronger and stronger as the match went on. To see your pack scrummage like that after 70 minutes, and for your defence to be hitting breakdowns in numbers and getting turnovers is a credit to the lads."

English title favourites Leicester will resume Aviva Premiership business next weekend following their European demise at the hands of Leinster on Saturday, with their England flanker Tom Croft admitting: "We are hurting."

The Tigers' hopes of ending a nine-year wait for Heineken Cup glory ended in the same Dublin stadium where England's RBS Six Nations Grand Slam dream was destroyed just three weeks previously.

Once again it was fly-half Jonathan Sexton who played a major part in the opposition's downfall. Having kicked 14 points for Ireland against England last month, he scored another 12 on Saturday to underpin Leinster's punishing 17-10 Heineken Cup quarter-final triumph.

Croft and company competed vigorously during a game of Test match intensity, but Leinster always had the edge to leave them two wins away from regaining a trophy they won in Edinburgh two years ago.

"They ran the ball hard, and the small margins let us down," said Croft. "We played well in phases, but didn't convert those points, and in knockout games we have to learn from that.

"If you get into that red zone, you have to take the points. We didn't, and fair play to Leinster.

"They have a strong team, tackle hard and they can do some great things. Potentially, they could go on to win the tournament.

"If we take out our mistakes, we will be a very difficult team to beat in the Premiership. It's Gloucester next weekend, and we are hurting.

"We knew what was coming, having played against Ireland, and maybe we needed to start a bit better. We got wiser after the opening, and it was a great game to play in.

"This is knockout rugby, and we have to learn the lessons of this to take into hopefully a home play-off in the Premiership."

A late Rob Hawkins try was the cue for frenzied Leicester pressure, yet Leinster - courtesy of full-back Isa Nacewa's sparkling solo touchdown and four Sexton penalties - had enough energy left in them to repel the Tigers and avenge the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeats they suffered against them in 2002 and 2005.