Heineken Cup: Clermont dominate but fall short

Nathan Hines is tackled by Toulon replacements Gethin Jenkins, left, and Frederic Michalak late in Saturdays final. Picture: Getty

Clermont Auvergne 15-16 Toulon

Scorers: Clermont Auvergne – Tries: Nalaga, James. Con: Parra. Pen: Parra. Toulon – Tries: D Armitage. Con: Wilkinson. Pens: Wilkinson (3).

Referee: A Rolland (Ire)

Attendance: 51,142

The 36-year-old former Scotland lock won the trophy with Leinster in 2011 and had played a key part in Clermont’s all-conquering march to this year’s final.

They appeared to be heading for victory when they went 15-6 ahead early in the second half. But, despite spending much of the game under the cosh, Toulon never gave up and Jonny Wilkinson kicked the winning points when he converted Delon Armitage’s breakaway try.

Hines and coach Vern Cotter, who has been offered the job of coaching Scotland, have another chance of claiming silverware in the French league in the next two weeks – they play Castres in the semi-final of the Top 14 on Saturday – but it will probably take them longer than that to work out how exactly Clermont managed to lose a game in which they were so dominant.

Cotter has yet to say whether or not he will accept the Scotland job, and he gave an enigmatic response to the BBC when he spoke about it publicly for the first time after Saturday’s game.

Asked whether he wanted the job, the New Zealander said: “That’s a fascinating question. At the moment that’s ‘hitting the waves’, as we say. I have had contact but nothing will be decided until after the season.”

For Wilkinson, victory has allowed him finally to move on from England’s World Cup win ten years ago and escape a shadow he felt had been cast over his career by that achievement. Finally, there is another winner’s medal on his mantelpiece. As he sat in the bowels of the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night, reflecting on Toulon’s staggering win, the memories of the World Cup triumph took on a different hue.

Suddenly, Wilkinson was able to celebrate twice – to enjoy his achievements with England in a way he never had done before and revel in becoming a European champion. “It feels good,” Wilkinson said. “The 2003 World Cup was great but, afterwards, it felt like something that was almost battling me every time I stepped on the field. It felt like it was trying to show me up.

“I was part of a great England team. I sat there thinking that it was the worst feeling in the world. Instead of thinking ‘we’ve won it, it’s done and it’s a great thing to celebrate’ – which is what I feel more about this now – at the time I almost hated it.

“I was worrying that I had topped out at 24 and that was it. I was always so worried that it was going to be the last thing. I said ‘I can’t let this be the last thing, I don’t want to play under the shadow of that’.

“Before the injuries, I always felt I’d been building towards something. Then a new door opened at Toulon and suddenly I’m in a final and I’ve written another chapter. All of a sudden you can actually start to appreciate the World Cup in a way I’ve never done.

“This campaign is done and I can actually enjoy it and appreciate it. I don’t have to start to compete with it.”

After 48 minutes at the Aviva Stadium, when Clermont had surged into a 15-6 lead with tries by Napolioni Nalaga and Brock James, it appeared Toulon were set for heartbreak. But they refused to concede defeat. Wilkinson landed a third penalty and then converted Armitage’s breakaway try to nudge Toulon into the lead.

After that, it was all hands back to the pump in defence. Toulon made a remarkable 176 tackles to Clermont’s 66 and they held on to claim a first major trophy in 21 years.

David Skrela, under intense pressure from Wilkinson, had a late drop-goal attempt charged down and Sitiveni Sivivatu blew Clermont’s last attacking chance with a forward pass into touch.

Toulon, like Clermont, must now turn their attention to the Top 14 and they, too, have a semi-final to play, against Toulouse on Friday.

Wilkinson struggles with short turnarounds now. Before the Heineken Cup final he was wondering whether he had made the right decision to play on for another year. But on the final whistle, as he lifted the trophy having finally ended a ten-year wait for a title that would put the World Cup into some context, Wilkinson knew he had made the right decision.

Clermont Auvergne: Byrne; Sivivatu, Rougerie, Fofana, Nalaga; James, Parra; Domingo, Kayser, Zirakashvili, Cudmore, Hines, Bonnaire, Vosloo, Chouly. Subs: Debaty for Domingo (66), Paulo for Kayser (66), Ric for Zirakashvili (73), King for Vosloo (68), Radoslavjevic for Parra (71), Skrela for James (73), Bardy for Rougerie (68).

Toulon: D Armitage; Wulf, Bastareaud, Giteau, Palisson; Wilkinson, Tillous-Borde; Sheridan, Bruno Hayman, Botha, Kennedy, Rossouw, Fernandez Lobbe, Masoe. Subs: Kubriashvili for Hayman (76), van Niekerk for Bruno (50), S Armitage for Botha (69), Orioli for Rossouw (50), Suta for Masoe (69), Michalak for Tillous-Borde (50), Jenkins for Sheridan.