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Thread: Back-to-back titles for super Toulon

  1. #1
    Veteran beige's Avatar
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    Back-to-back titles for super Toulon

    Jonny Wilkinson's final match on British soil ended with the sweet taste of back-to-back Heineken Cup titles by defeating Saracens 23-6.

    Toulon felt every bit a team packed full of world class players, exemplified through Juan Smith's try on the 60-minute mark that cut Saracens off.

    Wilkinson naturally was supreme, striking the ball as well as we've ever seen the former England fly-half do so. Back-to-back Heineken Cup titles is the most fitting of conclusions to his incredible career, with possibly one more trophy to come in Paris next week.

    Toulon though are not all about Wilkinson. The work of Steffon Armitage and Smith was astonishing in the turnover and tackling departments; Test level quality from Test level players. Matt Giteau's storming season was capped with a moment of genius for the opening try.

    Saracens were full of appetite and endeavour but faded in the second half once Toulon tightened their muscular grip on the collisions and breakdown. They were blown away in the second half.

    Owen Farrell's departure 20 minutes from time felt like a white flag, although their participation in this year's tournament will always be remembered for what they produced against Clermont at Twickenham. They will be aiming to hit the heights of that performance when they return their next weekend to face Northampton.

    Although final farewells will be said to Wilkinson and Steve Borthwick next weekend when Toulon and Saracens contest their domestic finals, this felt like goodbye.

    Goodbye too to the Heineken Cup; 18 years on from the first final held in this same city and one which, regardless of its imperfections logistically, has provided spectacular entertainment year-on-year without fail.

    This was more brutal that classicly entertaining, played on a knife-edge that initially damaged the game's flow and tested the patience of the retiring referee Alain Rolland until Matt Giteau turned the key in the lock.

    Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...324706,00.html

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    Immortal Contributor The InnFORCEr's Avatar
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    Great to see him go out in style

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    Immortal Contributor The InnFORCEr's Avatar
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    Wilkinson lauds 'inspirational' Giteau

    AFP The West Australian
    May 25, 2014, 10:21 am


    Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Jonny Wilkinson said playing alongside "inspirational" former Australia centre Matt Giteau had convinced him now was the right time to retire.

    Wilkinson and Giteau -- "the ultimate professional" in the eyes of the England great -- were both members of the star-studded Toulon side that retained the European Cup with a 23-6 win over Saracens in the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

    The match was 2003 World Cup-winner Wilkinson's last on British soil, with the fly-half set to retire after Toulon's French Top 14 final against Castres next weekend.

    Wilkinson was faultless in kicking 13 points against London side Saracens, his haul including a drop-goal off his weaker, right foot, just as he'd done to seal England's extra-time World Cup final against Australia in Sydney 11 years ago.

    But it was Giteau's 29th-minute try that propelled Toulon into a lead they never surrendered.

    Toulon captain Wilkinson switched play with an inside pass to Giteau, whose clever chip kick into space saw Drew Mitchell beat Saracens full-back Alex Goode to the ball.

    Former Wallaby wing Mitchell then passed out of the tackle to the supporting Giteau, who'd admirably followed up his own kick, and the centre raced in for a try.

    "He's exceptional," Wilkinson said of the 31-year-old Giteau, who won the last of his 92 caps in 2011.

    "I don't quite know how a team ever let him go in Australia to come over here (Europe)," Wilkinson added of the playmaker, who left the ACT Brumbies for France after a 2011 World Cup where he failed to make the Wallaby squad.

    "Since he's been here he's done nothing but bring this team up, become better himself and make us all better players," said Wilkinson, a veteran of 97 Tests, after a victory which came just a day before his 35th birthday.

    - 'Giteau can do anything' -

    "I wouldn't survive out there without guys like him," Wilkinson said.

    Wilkinson, still second only to New Zealand's Dan Carter in the all-time list of international points-scorers after retiring from Test rugby following the 2011 World Cup, never looked like missing in landing two conversions, two penalties and that drop-goal against Saracens.

    But he said there had been times when he'd asked Giteau to step in as Toulon's goal-kicker.

    "Sometimes this season I haven't made the first few kicks and I've said 'mate you take the next one', he (Giteau) just steps up, does it.

    "That's the kind of guy is. He's an ultimate professional, he can do just about anything.

    "He's the reason why someone like me would realise my time is up because you look at him doing what he does and you think 'this is where the future of this team is'.

    When Toulon coach Bernard Laporte, the former France boss who often had cause to rue Wilkinson's excellence, withdrew his skipper with three minutes left and the match won, the outside-half walked off to huge roars of approval from a crowd of nearly 68,000 in what must surely count as the most rapturous reception for any England player on a Welsh rugby field.

    For Wilkinson it was all too much.

    "I've made no secret of the fact I've been over-supported," he said.

    "I've been given way too much respect, I?ve been given too much of an easy life compared to others who have deserved so much more but haven't had it."

    Wilkinson added: "I?ve tried to keep my feet on the ground, otherwise someone?s going to realise I?m a bit of a fraud."

    Saracens, like Toulon, will have a shot at domestic glory when they face Northampton, winners of the second-tier European Challenge Cup in Cardiff on Friday, in next weekend's Premiership final.

    "I think we came up against an exceptional side," said Saracens coach Mark McCall, who in the build-up had highlighted the threat posed by Giteau.

    "They had one opportunity (in the first half) and a bit of genius for Matt Giteau to see some space in the back-field," McCall said.

    Toulon No 8 Steffon Armitage, currently not considered by England because he plays his club rugby overseas, was named man-of-the-match after forcing five turnovers.

    "They are the exceptional team in Europe over the ball, if you give them any daylight they will make you pay for it," McCall said.

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...tional-giteau/

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    A fraud?? Now that's taking humility a wee bit too far!

    Great words about Giteau. He has found his groove in France and has realised his true potential there. Am very happy he has been able to make the most of his natural-born talent.

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    Champion zed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    A fraud?? Now that's taking humility a wee bit too far!

    Great words about Giteau. He has found his groove in France and has realised his true potential there. Am very happy he has been able to make the most of his natural-born talent.
    Didn't realise Gits was only 31. Such a shame we couldn't hold on to him.

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    Champion MI5_Dog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zed View Post
    Didn't realise Gits was only 31. Such a shame we couldn't hold on to him.
    Not really! He was toilet when he played for us. He crabbed sideways, made demands, hardly showed his 'true' potential.
    He matured certainly but I'm glad we didn't have to put up with all the crap that came with that maturity.

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