Exiles trail at break in semi-final

London Irish 10 Toulouse 15

London Irish trailed at half-time of today’s Heineken Cup semi-final as Toulouse ran in two tries in four minutes.

Winger Topsy Ojo had given the Exiles the lead with a superb solo effort but the French giants replied with tries from Manu Ahotaeiloa and William Servat.

A timely intervention from Toulouse winger Yves Donguy prevented Ojo from touching down Peter Hewat’s crafty chip ahead with just seconds on the clock.

The roles were reversed in the ninth minute when Donguy was threatening to scoop up a loose ball in the 22 but Ojo came to the rescue.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, playing at fly-half with former New Zealand international Byron Kelleher starting in the number nine jersey, and Hewat swapped penalties but Toulouse were in control up front.

A moment of brilliance from Ojo sent Irish surging ahead, however, with the lightning-quick right winger ripping through the Toulouse defence from a standing start.

The Exiles did well to keep the ball alive and Ojo scented blood, beating Elissalde on the outside and then arching past a feeble last-ditch tackle from full-back Cedric Heymans.

Hewat converted to send Irish 10-3 ahead but they were at panic stations on the half-hour mark when Fabien Pelous marauded into space.

The Toulouse skipper and former France lock had time to make the scoring pass but delivered it to the feet of a frustrated Donguy.

Better handling meant a second chance was not butchered shortly after as a series of bullet passes sent centre Ahotaeiloa diving over.

Irish cracked again in the 38th minute when France hooker Servat completed a line-out catch and drive and this time Elissalde made the conversion.