Try for Perpignan: Guirado Guilhem
Perpignan had reason to celebrate on Saturday after running five tries past defending French champions Toulouse to win 34-20 at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium.
USAP lead 34-6 early in the second half before Toulouse launched a comeback to score two tries and give some sort of respectability to the scoreline.
But the below-par champs were no match for their hosts, who led from start to finish in front of their Catalan fans and will take a bonus point back across to border.
Perpignan's Welsh fly-half James Hook contributed nine points with his boot while Scottish international flanker Alasdair Strokosch scored one of their tries in front of a half full stadium in Barcelona.
Perpignan had stunned Toulouse with a fiery first-half display that saw them lead 27-6 at half-time and although Toulouse came back in the second-half they had left themselves far too much to do.
Victory was only Perpignan's second in five games while defeat sees Toulouse trail leaders Toulon by seven points.
The Perpignan players' joy was muted as it was revealed that their Samoan bus driver, former rugby league player Paul Okesene, had suffered a heart attack in the car park and died later in hospital, aged 44.
"A victory which in other circumstances would have been celebrated mightily, but it is sadness which has taken over," said Perpignan president Paul Goze.
"Rugby is only a sport, here we are talking about the life of a man."
The scorers:
For Perpignan:
Tries: Sid, Guiry, Guirado, Strokosch, Haughton
Cons: Hook 3
Pen: Hook
For Toulouse:
Tries: Penalty try, Nyanga
Cons: McAlister 2
Pens: McAlister 2
Yellow card: Fritz (Toulouse - 62nd min - dangerous tackle)
Perpignan:15 Gavin Hume, 14 Farid Sid, 13 David Marty, 12 Lifeimi Mafi , 11 Adrien Plante, 10 James Hook, 9 Florian Cazenave , 8 Luke Narraway, 7 Bertrand Guiry, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 5 Romain Taofifenua, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Jeremy Castex , 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Romain Terrain, 17 Sebastien Taofifenua, 18 Robins Tchale watchou, 19 Daniel Leo, 20 David Mele, 21 Sione Piukala, 22 Richard Haughton, 23 Jerome Schuster.
Toulouse: 15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yannick Jauzion, 12 Florian Fritz, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Luke Mcalister, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Gillian Galan, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Louis Picamoles, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Gregory Lamboley, 3 Census Johnston, 2 Christopher Tolofua , 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements:16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Jean Batiste Poux, 18 Romain Millo Chlusky, 19 Yannick Nyanga, 20 Jean Marc Doussain, 21 Lionel Beauxis, 22 Timoci Matanavou 23 Yohan Montes
Comments
Toulousain says...
Who ever said there were easy games in T14? Wow. Barcelona was clearly too far for the Toulouse players today. They never got off the bus. Sid was electric - his first try was magical. Taofifenua was immense all game. 2 names most non-French fans may never have heard of. Make no mistake. That was a strong ST line-up. They don't have any better players resting in the wings!! Elissalde needs to sort out the attitude or Noves will send him packing soon.
Only positive for ST was the set scrum which was dominant as usual. Let's hope Medard comes back soon to add some creativity behind.
Posted 19:42 15th September 2012