Toulouse see off plucky Biarritz

Toulouse 19 Biarritz 11

Defending Heineken Cup champions Toulouse are on track to keep the trophy for another season after seeing off brave Biarritz in a rugged semi-final at Bordeaux’s Stade Chaban-Delmas today.

The two French heavyweights spent 80 minutes knocking lumps out of each other in the Bordeaux sunshine, and the busiest people at the stadium were both sides’ medical staff.

Toulouse were too strong up front, but their chances were helped considerably by Biarritz scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, who had a poor game with the boot to spoil a courageous display from the underdogs.

A second-half try to former All Black No 8 and man of the match Isitolo Maka proved the match-winner, with a late Yann Delaigue dropped goal sealing the matter.

Toulouse fly-half Delaigue opened the scoring with a 10th-minute penalty goal, which was cancelled out by Yachvili, who shrugged off some early nerves to slot a crucial goal after 20 minutes.

Delaigue kicked Toulouse back into the lead with his second well-struck penalty goal as Yachvili again missed his effort to the left, and the Bordeaux crowd settled back to watch a goal-kicking duel between the two French internationals.

Injuries forced Biarritz to call on their fifth-choice centre in 18-year-old Thibaux Lacroix, but the teenager showed no nerves as his side made all the play out wide. Toulouse’s covering defence was equal to the task, however, and they should have scored the first try when a Yachvili mistake set up a terrific opportunity.

Toulouse secured quick ball close to the Biarritz line and had a four-on-two advantage to the right, but prop Patrice Collazo joined the backline and inexplicably decided to try the first grubber-kick of his career, which went straight over the deadball line.

The favourites had to make do with Delaigue’s third penalty goal in the 44th minute as they took a 9-3 lead into the changing rooms.

Biarritz should have opened the second-half scoring when lock David Couzinet stormed down the touchline before delivering what should have been a try-scoring pass to Jimmy Marlu, but the in-form winger spilled the chance.

The Biarritz fans were left to shake their heads in the 50th minute when Yachvili missed yet another shot at goal, but the little scrum-half shook off that disappointment and slotted one from further out to narrow the margin to three points.

More was to come for the underdogs when the teenaged Lacroix stepped outside his man and set up winger Philippe Bidabe to score in the corner, and suddenly Biarritz were in front.

It was time for Toulouse to show why they are one of the most feared sides in Europe and they hit straight back through massive backrower Maka.

The 19-stone former All Black lingered in the fly-half position as his side attacked the Biarritz line, and when he received the ball at pace, it was only a matter of how many defenders he would run over before scoring.

Biarritz finished the match camped on their opponents’ try-line, but they could not breach the Toulouse defence to score the winning try. Toulouse secured possession and marched upfield to give Delaigue the chance to secure a trip to Twickenham for the Cup final on May 23 with a coolly-taken dropped goal.