Springbok's score can't stop Toulousain rout
SUNDAY WRAP: Outside centre Pierre-Louis Barassi scored two of Stade Toulousain’s seven tries as they showed impressive form at Harlequins in their 47-19 win.
The French side have hit the ground running in this year’s Champions Cup scoring 14 tries in their opening two Pool Two matches.
The five-time tournament winners were ahead on six minutes when scrumhalf Antoine Dupont capitalised on a loose ball. Barassi crossed, with flyhalf Thomas Ramos kicking the extras.
However, Harlequins were level minutes later when the ball came out of a maul to inside centre Andre Esterhuizen, the Springbok powered through the defensive line to score under the posts and flyhalf Marcus Smith converted.
From the re-start Stade Toulousain hit their hosts again, driving forward before recycling the ball out wide for right wing Dimitri Delibes to score a converted effort to lead 14-7.
The visitors were reduced to 14 men when inside centre Pita Ahki was sent to the sin-bin for head contact during a tackle on second row Dino Lamb, who was injured in the process.
Four minutes before half-time Delibes played through hooker Peato Mauvaka for his side’s third converted try.
However, Harlequins responded immediately with some powerful play resulting in second row Irne Herbst scoring, but with Smith missing the conversion they trailed 12-21 at half-time.
Stade Toulousain secured the bonus point two minutes into the second half as a line-out collected by hooker Peato Mauvaka was played to left wing Matthis Lebel to score a converted try.
The hosts kept themselves in the game using their strength to drive over a third score with Herbst dotting down and Smith adding the extras.
An impressive fifth try for the visitors saw several quick offloads before replacement loose-head prop Rodrigue Neti found Barassi to score, converted for a fifth time by Ramos.
Despite Harlequins pressing for bonus points they were hit again by their French visitors with replacement loosehead prop Rodrigue Neti scoring and Ramos kicking his sixth conversion.
Flyhalf Ramos dotted down his side’s seventh try moments later as the visitors’ attack proved too strong for their hosts.
Stade Toulousain heads to Ulster in round three in January, while Harlequins have an away game at Cardiff.
* A late try from centre Henry Slade secured a comeback bonus-point 32-24 win for Exeter Chiefs over Munster.
Exeter Chiefs were down 10-19 at the break in the Pool Three clash, but a tremendous second-half display saw the hosts fight back to claim their second win in this year’s competition.
Slade was key as he kicked three conversions, two penalties and intercepted the ball to run the length of the pitch for a 78th-minute bonus-point try for a personal total of 17, while the hosts’ three other tries came courtesy of hooker Dan Frost and replacements Ross Vintcent and Jack Dunne.
Munster themselves crossed four times via wing Calvin Nash, flank Tom Ahern, centre Antoine Frisch and fullback Shane Daly.
* In an extraordinary closing match to Round Two, hooker Archie Vanes scored a hat-trick of tries to help Leicester Tigers to a famous 27-24 win over Stade Francais Paris.
The English Premiership side sent a much changed starting XV down to the French capital, but 22-year-old Vanes led the way on his Champions Cup debut as the visitors stunned the Stade Jean Bouin.
The Parisian side will now face Leinster away from home in Round Three, while Leicester Tigers will once more travel to France in January – this time against the holders Stade Rochelais.
All the Sunday scores and scorers …
Exeter Chiefs 32-24 Munster
The scorers
For Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Frost, Vintcent, Dunne, Slade
Cons: Slade 3
Pens: Slade 2
For Munster
Tries: Nash, Ahern, Frisch, Daly
Cons: Crowle 2
Teams
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Tommy Wyatt, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Ben Hammersley, 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Tom Cairns, 8 Greg Fisilau, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Lewis Pearson, 5 Dafydd Jenkins (captain), 4 Rusi Tuima, 3 Ehren Painter, 2 Dan Frost, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Max Norey, 17 Nika Abuladze, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Jack Dunne, 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 Stu Townsend, 22 Ollie Devoto, 23 Rory O’Loughlin.
Munster: 15 Shane Daly, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Antoine Frisch, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Seán O’Brien, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Gavin Coombes, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Jeremy Loughman.
Replacements: 16 Eoghan Clarke, 17 Josh Wycherley, 18 Oli Jager, 19 Brian Gleeson, 20 Alex Kendellen, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Rory Scannell, 23 Ben O’Connor.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Adrien Marbot (France), Evan Urruzmendi (France)
TMO: Cedric Marchat (France)
Harlequins 19-47 Toulouse
The scorers
For Harlequins
Tries: Esterhuizen, Herbst 2
Cons: Smith 2
For Toulouse
Tries: Barassi 2, Delibes, Mauvaka, Lebel, Neti, Ramos
Cons: Ramos 6
Yellow card: Pita Ahki (Toulouse, 15 – foul play, head contact)
Teams
Harlequins: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Nick David, 13 Will Joseph, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Will Porter, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain), 7 Will Evans, 6 James Chisholm, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Joe Launchbury, 3 Will Collier, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Irne Herbst, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Oscar Beard.
Toulouse: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Dimitri Delibes, 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Matthis Lebel, 10 Thomas Ramos, 9 Antoine Dupont (captain), 8 Alexandre Roumat, 7 Anthony Jelonch, 6 Francois Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Richie Arnold, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Peato Mauvaka, 1 Cyril Baille.
Replacements: 16 Guillaume Cramont, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 David Ainuʻu, 19 Piula Fa’asalele, 20 Alban Placines, 21 Baptiste Germain, 22 Paul Costes, 23 Santiago Chocobares.
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Andrew Cole (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Stade Francais 24-27 Leicester Tigers
The scorers
For Stade Francais
Tries: Hirigoyen, Laloi, Barre
Cons: Segonds 3
Pen: Segonds
For Leicester Tigers
Tries: Vanes 3
Cons: Shillcock 3
Pens: Shillcock 2
Yellow card: Charlie Atkinson (Leicester Tigers, 19)
Teams
Stade Francais: 15 Leo Barre, 14 Kylan Hamdaoui, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Jeremy Ward, 11 Charles Laloi, 10 Joris Segonds, 9 Hugo Zabalza, 8 Mathieu Hirigoyen, 7 Romain Briatte, 6 Sekou Macalou, 5 Baptiste Pesenti, 4 Paul Gabrillagues, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Mickael Ivaldi, 1 Clement Castets.
Replacements: 16 Lucas Peyresblanques, 17 Moses Alo-Emile, 18 Francisco Gomez-Kodela, 19 Pierre-Henri Azagoh, 20 Stephane Ahmed, 21 Jules Gimbert, 22 Ryan Chapuis, 23 JJ van der Mescht.
Leicester: 15 Charlie Atkinson, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 Solomone Kata, 11 Mike Brown, 10 Jamie Shillcock, 9 Tom Whiteley, 8 Kyle Hatherell, 7 Matt Rogerson, 6 Hanro Liebenberg (captain), 5 Sam Carter, 4 George Martin, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Archie Vanes, 1 James Cronin.
Replacements: 16 Finn Theobold-Thomas, 17 James Whitcombe, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Kieran Wilkinson, 23 Phil Cokanasiga.
Referee: Nike Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Saba Abulashvili (Georgia), Shota Tevzadze (Georgia)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Source: @ChampionsCup
