Heineken Cup success for Toulouse

David Skrela
12 April 2012

Heineken Cup kings Toulouse landed their fourth European title with a 21-19 win over Biarritz in a tense final at Stade de France.

Fly-half David Skrela and centre Florin Fritz shared Toulouse's points, Skrela booting two drop-goals and three penalties, while Fritz followed a mammoth penalty strike with a drop-goal.

Biarritz mustered four Dimitri Yachvili penalties before their Australian rugby league import Karmichael Hunt scored a late try - converted by substitute Valentin Courrent - to spark a nerve-tingling finale. But Toulouse held on, making Biarritz pay for not building on a promising 9-3 advantage midway through the second quarter.

Ultimately, there was no European glory for Biarritz's England international trio of Iain Balshaw, Magnus Lund and Ayoola Erinle.

Toulouse are masters of knockout rugby, and once Skrela took charge to keep their noses in front, the trophy was on its way back to southern France for the first time since 2005.

As on that occasion - against Stade Francais at Murrayfield - Toulouse failed to cross the opposition line, but they deserved their victory, even if in the end it proved too close for comfort.

Biarritz, Heineken runners-up for the second time in five seasons, failed to handle a dominant Toulouse scrum, and that underpinned their defeat.

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