Jonny’s boot causes Red alert

JONNY WILKINSON lost a battle of the drop kicks as Toulon were beaten in Paris last night but Munster were put on warning ahead of their Heineken Cup showdown in the south of France next Sunday.

England fly-half Wilkinson’s threat with his left boot is no secret, of course but with three drop goals and all Toulon’s points coming from it, he underlined why he is so dangerous whenever Toulon get into opposition territory.

Felipe Contepomi was given another weekend off as he recovers from a head injury, making Wilkinson likely to start at Stade Felix-Mayol. And with both he and Munster’s own Ronan O’Gara in such rich kicking form — the Irishman’s six kicks from six the previous night at Musgrave Park helping to defeat Glasgow Warriors 22-20 — next weekend’s winner-takes-all Pool Three clash could well turn into a straight shoot-out between the former Lions team-mates.

At Stade Yves du Manoir on a cold and crisp night in the Parisian suburbs, where Leinster will visit in their Pool Two finale in two weeks, Racing’s hopes of taking advantage of league leaders Toulouse’s mauling in the French capital by Stade Francais the previous day looked to have been dealt a blow by Wilkinson, until his kicking efforts were matched by a second-half fightback.

The Englishman had actually missed his opening kick, a straightforward, seventh-minute penalty close to the posts and just outside the 22. From then on, though, he found his range, slotting over a far more difficult attempt from out wide and then firing over the first of his drop goals shortly after.

And when Racing did get on the board through the boot of Jonathan Wisniewski, Toulon having been penalised at the breakdown, Wilkinson simply struck back with another drop goal from almost 40 metres out.

The home side were not enjoying much possession up to that point but they put Toulon under a heap of pressure in the 10 minutes before half-time, out-muscling a visiting pack missing the injured Carl Hayman and recovering Joe van Niekerk in oft-used mauls off lineout plays and camping on their try line. The dominance paid off when Toulon looshead Laurent Emmanuelli was sin-binned after a Racing player was felled in the far corner.

Yet still Toulon held firm and a minute before the interval got up the other end to put Wilkinson in range for another drop goal to give the visitors a 12-3 lead at the half.

The half-time message from Racing head coach Pierre Berbizier appeared to be that whatever Wilkinson could do, so could they and Wisniewski opened the second half with a drop goal of his own, followed by South African full-back Francois Steyn’s as the Parisians hauled themselves back into the contest through what seemed at times like sheer physical will via the likes of back rowers Jacques Cronje and Sebastien Chabal and captain Lioinel Nallet.

Toulon were not trying to play an expansive game by any means but they were getting no change up front either, particularly when Racing got their maul rolling and the home crowd cranked up the volume.

Wisniewski hit a penalty to pull Racing level and his side, sniffing Toulon blood, chased a try their opponents seemed reluctant to seek for themselves. Cue another extended period on the Toulon line as Juan Fernandez Lobbe limped off during more last-ditch defending, Van Niekerk entering the fray.

He helped Toulon keep the home side out but no-one could stop Wisniewski adding his second drop goal of the game to send Racing in front for the first time at 15-12 with 10 minutes to go.

Still time for Wilkinson to marshall his troops once more and go for another drop goal of his own. No hint of a try, mind, just another drop goal to level matters. So imagine the delight of the increasingly noisy Racing fans when his next effort from in front of the posts on the 22 was charged down and his next, further out but with time to compose himself, sailed wide. That left boot is fallible after all.

RACING METRO: F Steyn; S Bobo, H Chavancy, A Vulivuli, Mirco Bergamasco; J Wisniewski, J Fillol (N Durand, 73); A Lo Cicero, B Noirot (C Festuccia, 64), B Sa; L Nallet – captain, F Van Der Merwe (K Ghezal, 64); J Leo’o, J Cronje, S Chabal (A Galindo, 73).

TOULON: R Wolf: R Lamont, M Kefu, G Lovobalavu, C Loamanu; J Wilkinson, M Henjak (P Mignoni, 52); L Emmanuelli, S Bruno (J C Orioli, 64), D Kubriashvili; K Chesney, D Senekal; G Snmith, J El Abd (S Taumoepeau, 34-44), J Fernandez Lobbe – captain (J Van Niekerk, 55).

Yellow card: Emmanuelli 34-44

Referee: C Marchat.