Last week end, both the Magners League and the Top 14 had a break to leave the spotlight to the Heineken Cup semi-finals. French giant Toulouse host the reigning champion Leinster while the 2006 runner-up Biarritz entertained Irish ogre Munster in San-Sebastian. In this “France vs Ireland” week end, French clubs came out winners after outclassing both of their opponents to set-up an all French Final in Paris on May 22.
Both games were quite similar. Toulouse decided to avoid the high profile Irish back line led by Ireland centre and fullback, Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney, by playing a tight forwards game. Biarritz, without playmaker Damien Traille in the centre, took the bull by the horns and confronted the huge Munster pack.
The result was quite simple and outstanding on a French point of view. Munster, without their key player Paul O’Connell, could not handle the Biarritz’s forwards in set pieces and in the rucks and fell apart after an hour conceding three penalties in the last fifteen minutes sealing the victory for the locals, 18-7. Toulouse’s pack dominated their opponents all game long in scrums but could not break the lines before the 55th minutes when they scored two converted tries in five minutes making a winning break, 26-16.
Toulouse and Biarritz will now meet on May 22nd in Paris for the third all French Heineken Cup final since its creation in 1996. After the outstanding France’s Gran Slam in the RBS 6 Nations earlier this year, one of these two French clubs will be crowed best club in Europe.
To read the full report, click here.
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