Toulouse to face Leinster in Champions Cup semi-final after seeing off Sharks

Toulouse 54 Sharks 20

Toulouse booked a Heineken Champions Cup semi-final clash against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium at the end of the month with a comprehensive 54-20 victory over the Sharks at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

The five-time European champions made a statement of intent by scoring seven tries with fullback Thomas Ramos contributing 29 points.

The South African visitors were 10-3 ahead after 31 minutes and were still in the contest until Toulouse cut loose in the final 11 minutes.

[ Toulouse have that old European hunger back and that should worry the rest ]

A Curwin Bosch penalty and Grant Williams’s try put Sharks ahead but the boot of Ramos and Juan Cruz Mallia’s burst into the corner gave Toulouse a 14-10 interval lead.

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Ramos converted his own try after racing over from Antoine Dupont’s pass but Sharks hit back when fullback Boeta Chamberlain broke through and Bosch added the extras.

Mallia scorched over for his second try and Sharks’ hopes were dented when Williams’s try was disallowed for a forward pass just as Bosch was about to take the conversion.

Bosch did reduce the arrears with a penalty but Toulouse went on the rampage in the final quarter with tries for Ramos, Peato Mauvaka, Arthur Retiere and Romain Ntamack.