Heineken Cup Final Victory For Toulouse.
Over 28,000 turned up at Lansdowne Road to see Toulouse win their second Heineken Cup trophy with a 22-17 win over Perpignan.
Toulouse led 19-0 at half-time thanks to 33rd minute Vincent Clerc try and fourteen points from the boot of out-half Yann Delaigue. – four penalties and a conversion.
However with the wind at their backs in the second half, Perpignan set about reducing the deficit and there was only a score beteween the sides with nine minutes of normal time remaining after Manny Edmonds had landed four penalties.
Toulouse lifted the siege to make a rare visit to the Perpignan 22 and a Delaigue penalty, his fifth of the afternoon, proved crucial because it left the eventual winners 10 points clear and meant that Pascal Bomati’s injury time try was to count for nothing.
Perpignan. J-M Souverbie; P Bomati, P Giordani, C Manas, F Cermeno; M Edmonds, L Loustau; R Peillard, M Konieck, N Mas, J Thion, R Alvarez-Kairelis, G Le Corvec, P Murphy (L Mailler), B Goutta (capt).
Replacements: M Dal Maso, S de Besombes, C Porcu, L Mallier, J Basset, N Laharrague, D Marty.
Toulouse. C Poitrenaud; E Ntamack, X Garbajosa, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; Y Delaigue, F Michalak; B Lecouls, Y Bru, J-B Poux, D Gerard, F Pelous (capt), T Brennan (F Maka 67 min), C Labit, J Bouilhou.
Replacements: C Soulette, W Servat, G Lamboley, F Maka, S Dupuy, C Heymans, C Desbrosse.
Referee: Chris White (England) – replaced by Tony Spreadbury 10th minute.