Veteran Jenkins keeps Warriors hopes alive

Celtic Warriors 16 Perpignan 15

Celtic Warriors kept their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes alive with a dramatic Pool Six victory over Perpignan at the Brewery Field tonight.

Referee Giulio De Santis awarded the Warriors an 80th-minute penalty try after incessant pressure on the Perpignan line, and Welsh rugby’s record international points-scorer Neil Jenkins slotted the match-winning conversion.

Perpignan, who led 15-9 for most of the second half, were punished after killing possession.

It completed a frustrating second period for the French side, as they had captain Bernard Goutta and full-back Frederic Cermeno sin-binned following technical infringements.

There was mayhem during the closing minutes of injury time, when it appeared Perpignan had 15 players on the pitch even though Cermeno was still sin-binned.

Perpignan are still top of the group, but only on try count above the Warriors, whose last match is away at Italian minnows Calvisano next weekend, when they will target a five-point maximum.

English champions Wasps though, can put themselves in pole position by defeating Calvisano on Sunday.

It would leave Lawrence Dallaglio and company needing a victory in Perpignan on Sunday week to win the Pool and secure a quarter-final place.

In many ways, tonight’s defeat was rough justice on Perpignan, who had controlled much of the match through the tactical mastery of their Australian fly-half Manuel Edmonds.

Edmonds kicked two drop goals and three penalties, while Jenkins slotted 11 points for the Warriors.

But Edmonds was powerless to prevent the gripping finale that sent a 6,000 crowd wild.

The Warriors knew they faced a must-win situation following last week’s home defeat by Wasps, but they were boosted by fit-again Wales lock Robert Sidoli, while Jenkins took over from injured fly-half Ceri Sweeney.

Perpignan, Heineken Cup runners-up last season, fielded nine internationals, including England wing Dan Luger, Ireland’s Mick O’Driscoll and former Leicester prop Franck Tournaire.

Edmonds booted Perpignan ahead through a second-minute penalty, but although Jenkins quickly cancelled out that advantage and then kicked Warriors 6-3 ahead, the visitors soon established momentum.

Watching Wasps rugby director Warren Gatland would have been impressed as Perpignan took charge by the interval with Edmonds slotting two more penalties and a drop goal.

The Warriors wasted a gilt-edged opportunity nine minutes before half-time after scrum-half Gareth Cooper broke clear and kicked into space, only to see wing Aisea Havili knock on as he swooped for possession on a slippery surface.

Jenkins reduced the arrears to 12-9 in the 43rd minute and passed 500 Heineken Cup points in the process, but when Edmonds kicked his second drop goal three minutes later, Perpignan looked to close the game out.

They did not help their cause when the inspirational Goutta was yellow-carded.

Then they lost scrum-half Ludovic Loustau through injury, but a combination of poor Warriors passing and committed Perpignan defence meant the scoreboard stayed at 15-9.

When Cermeno departed five minutes from time, there was no hint of the conclusion to follow, but De Santis ran out of patience with Perpignan’s offenders, allowing Jenkins a chance to clinch victory.

He gratefully accepted it, Warriors coaches Lynn Howells and Allan Lewis hugged each other in the stand, and Perpignan’s crestfallen players starred into the night sky in disbelief.