Wilkinson misses costly as Toulon held by Clermont

Jonny Wilkinson hit the post with a penalty attempt with the final kick of the game as Top 14 leaders Toulon were held to a 26-26 draw at home by Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final opponents, Clermont Auvergne.

In a thrilling clash between the top two in the French Top 14, Wilkinson could have snatched it at the death but his ambitious attempt from fully 10 yards inside his own half dropped against the lower part of the post.

Clermont got off to a flying start as wing Noa Nakaitaci went over after just seven minutes following a quickly-taken line-out.

Toulon, who had opened the score with a Wilkinson penalty, hit back two minutes later as a long pass from Sebastien Tillous-Borde allowed Maxime Mermoz to ground in the corner.

A pair of Mark Delany penalties put Clermont back in front before Nakaitaci went over again.

Delany’s conversion gave the visitors a 10-point lead but Wilkinson, who missed four kicks at goal over the course of the afternoon, reduced the arrears just before the break with his second penalty.

Seven points down at half-time, Toulon soon drew level as Palisson intercepted a pass from New Zealander Benson Stanley to run in under the posts unopposed.

Wilkinson’s conversion was his last successful kick of the day before Giteau took over the duties and landed a pair of penalties either side of two from Delany and Floch before Wilkinson’s last-gasp miss.

Toulon take a two-point lead over Clermont into the final three games of the season. In the day’s other match Perpignan beat Biarritz 33-28 to secure their grip on seventh place.

Scorers for Toulon: Tries: Mermoz, Palisson; Cons: Wilkinson 2; Pens: Wilkinson 2, Giteau 2

Scorers for Clermont: Tries: Nakaitaci 2; Cons: Delany 2; Pens: Delany 2, Floch 2

TOULON: D Armitage, R Wulf, M Bastareaud, M Giteau, A Palisson, J Wilkinson (c), S Tillous-Borde, A Sheridan, S Bruno, C Hayman, B Botha, N Kennedy, JF Lobbe, S Armitage, C Masoe.

Replacements: M Ivaldi, G Jenkins, L Chilachava, J Suta, V Martin, M Mermoz, N Durand, J van Niekerk.

CLERMONT: JM Buttin, N Nakaitaci, B Stanley, R King, J Malzieu, M Delany, L Radoslavjevic, R Chaume, T Paulo, C Ric, J Pierre, L Jacquet, D Chouly, A Lapandry, E Vermeulen.

Replacements: V Debaty, B Cabello, D Kotze, V Kolelishvili, B Hezard, K Senio, A Floch, W Fofana.

Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal.