Toulouse rout Dragons in second-half display

Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Toulouse 42

Heineken Cup holders Toulouse delivered a workmanlike performance to collect priceless points on the road in their quest for a fifth European title tonight.

It was only the French giants’ eighth win from 15 European starts on Welsh soil, and they were indebted to a kicking masterclass from fly-half David Skrela at Rodney Parade.

Skrela booted 21 points from four penalties, a drop-goal and three conversions, although he was also sin-binned during a lively encounter.

Centre Florian Fritz chipped in with two penalties when Skrela was off, while flanker Thierry Dusautoir, number eight Louis Picamoles and full-back Maxime Medard – the latter a clinically-executed team effort – scored tries.

The Dragons – favourites to finish bottom of Pool Six – mustered four Matthew Jones penalties, trailing only 15-12 just before half-time, while full-back Will Harries touched down late on and Jones converted.

But Toulouse won comfortably despite never threatening to hit top gear. In two Heineken games this season they have scored just three tries, yet still top their group heading into pre-Christmas home and away appointments with Glasgow.

The injury-hit Dragons, beaten by Glasgow in their pool opener, faced a Herculean task against a Toulouse side packed with international stars.

The reigning European champions made eight changes following last weekend’s narrow victory over Wasps, while the likes of Clement Poitrenaud, Vincent Clerc and Byron Kelleher were on bench duty.

Dragons coach Paul Turner had billed the game as Preston versus Real Madrid, but his side made a bright start through a Jones penalty inside 60 seconds.

Jones’ opposite number Skrela replied with a drop-goal before an exchange of penalties, but approaching the end of a breathless – if patternless – opening quarter, Toulouse had been kept in check.

The boot continued to dominate, with two further Skrela penalties either side of Jones completing his hat-trick edging Toulouse 12-9 ahead, but there were ominous signs up-front, where the visiting pack began to exert scrum pressure,

Another Skrela penalty put Toulouse six points clear, yet it was his final scoring contribution of the half as referee Andrew Small sin-binned him for holding back Dragons scrum-half Wayne Evans off the ball.

Jones kicked the resulting penalty, but the Dragons’ temporary one-man advantage was immediately cancelled out when home prop Ben Castle received a yellow card for offside.

With Skrela absent, Fritz took over the kicking duties, and another three-pointer gave Toulouse a deserved – if unspectacular – 18-12 interval advantage.

Toulouse came out firing for the second period, and after a second Fritz penalty, they powered over for their first try in this season’s Heineken Cup.

Their back-row peeled off a line-out deep inside the Dragons’ 22, and Small required confirmation from the video official before awarding Dusautoir the touchdown.

Skrela marked his return to the contest by booting an easy conversion, and a brave Dragons challenge appeared over, 16 points adrift with more than 30 minutes remaining.

Medard then sliced the Dragons’ defence to shreds, Skrela adding the extras, and it had become a damage-limitation exercise for the hosts.

But they never threw in the towel, and Harries’ sharp score following a quickly-taken penalty by hooker Steve Jones underlined a committed – if limited - display.

Typically, Toulouse had the final say when an impressive Picamoles powered his way over, and the only disappointment for the visitors was their failure to collect a fourth touchdown that would have given them a five-point maximum.