Sportsvibe.co.uk

Harlequins stunned Toulouse in a Heineken Cup classic in the South-West of France, winning 31-24 to throw Pool 6 wide open.

Having been humbled at the Stoop last week in a game that was far more one sided than the tight scoreline suggested, 'Quins Director of Rugby Connor O'Shea was clear about his sides ambitions in this away tie, insisting that they would play a more running style of the game, to try to move the ball away from contact to avoid the ferocity that Toulouse bring to the breakdown.

Despite this though, the opening 20 minutes looked like a repeat of last week, with Toulouse dominating and earning 4 very kickable penalties. However Luke McAllister was having a torrid time with the boot, only landing one of the four before scrum half Jean Marc Doussain took over kicking duties. McAllister's confidence visibly eroded, and the wisdom of leaving players of Burgess, Picamoles, and Fritz's quality on the bench, when their tactical awareness was so starkly required, was in question.

Harlequins seemed buoyed by this, and the back row trio of captain Robshaw, Easter, and Skinner exemplified the work ethic of the team at the breakdown. Their ferocity secured the ball on the halfway line midway through the half, with Easter bursting through deep into the 22.

Quick ball followed, with it Nick Evans, the majestic Harlequins fly-half, put through a perfectly weighted kick for Mike Brown. Brown finished superbly, picking the bouncing ball up at full speed before diving into the corner.

It was another brilliant Evans kick a few minutes later that provided the second score. Looping the ball in the space behind Maxime Medard, the Toulouse full-back, deliberately wrong footing him, the bouncing ball was collected by young centre Matt Hopper, a brilliant exchange of passes between five players followed before Gray crashed over. Evans converted and Quins led 15-3, it seemed inevitable that despite Quins brilliance, Toulouse would come back, and it was the introduction of Florian Fritz just before half time that changed the game.

Fritz had an immediate impact, bursting into the Harlequins 22, with a directness the Toulouse midfield had been lacking.Support arrived, and evenutally Yoann Maestri went over. Doussain converted as the sides went in for half time at 15-10.

Guy Noves sparked his team into life during the break, sending them out with a renewed vigour, as Toulouse started the half with real directness and determination.

The pressure told as Quins gifted two penalties to Doussain, putting Toulouse in the lead by a point. Toulouse kept hammering away at the Quins tryline, but their defence stood strong, both William Servat and Vincent Clerc being held up just short of the line.

Another penalty followed as the Toulouse lead grew to four points, but from the restart substitute wing Tom Williams secured the ball, before a wonderful offload from Nick Easter put Mike Brown in under the posts. Evans converted and soon after landed a penalty to put his team into a 25-19 lead.

The Toulouse fightback was not complete howver as they continually put pressure on the Harlequins defence. Nick Easter eventually conceded a penalty, earning a yellow card in the process leaving Quins with only 14 men for all but the final minute of the game.

Toulouse used their one man advantage in the scrum to great effect sending scrum hald Doussain over in the corner. He could not convert though, meaning Quins had a one point lead to defend for the final 10 minutes.

Evans then nervelessly settled the game with two long range penalties after some Toulouse frustration at the breakdown, in the process confirming Toulouse's first home defeat in 30 matches. The game however did not end without controversy, as in one of the more bizarre incidents of the season, Will Skinner was red carded, despite having been substituted. He had caught the ball in touch, preventing Toulouse from taking a quick line out, to which referee Alain Rolland took great exception.

For Quins fans though, it was irrelevant, this stunning win gives them every chance of qualifying for the quarter finals. Toulouse stand a point ahead with each team to play both Gloucester and Connacht.

One less savoury aspect of the game was the state of the pitch. At the scrum it was churning up in foot long chunks, making it very dangerous with Alain Rolland repeatedly having to ask for groundsmen to come on and repair it. The sight of men with gardening forks coming on during play is not what the fans had paid to see.

Teams:　

Toulouse: Medard, Clerc, David, Jauzion, Matanavou, McAlister, Doussain, Montes, Servat, Johnston, Millo-Chluski, Maestri, Bouilhou, Dustautoir, Sowerby.