Dynamic hosts confirm Noves’ fear

TOULOUSE’S veteran coach, Guy Noves, said his team got what they deserved from Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final after failing to heed his warnings about Edinburgh’s quality, writes David Ferguson.

Noves told his side before the match that the Scots would be a stiffer test in front of 37,000 passionate supporters than they might expect, Edinburgh joining Ulster and Cardiff in beating the French stars in quarter-finals outside France. “We were expecting them to be a dynamic team who would come out to give their best in front of a record Scottish crowd,” he said.

“So it wasn’t a surprise to me that Edinburgh won, and they deserved to win because they played well. We produced a good first half but a very bad second half, so we have to accept that it’s our fault and congratulate Edinburgh.”

His powerhouse tighthead prop, Census Johnston, a 20st 6lb Samoan, acknowledged that the Scottish pack’s ability to compete in the scrum paved the way for the result.

“There were calls that didn’t go our way, but that’s the way games work and they capitalised on their chances and we didn’t capitalise on much at all,” he said. “We watched them on video and they struggled in the scrum, but were still able to pull the results. We are a good team but we couldn’t get it together in the scrum or other phases and you have to give Edinburgh credit for that.”