Harlequins fell prey to a reality-check mauling by the most decorated side in European history, as Toulouse romped to a 47-19 Champions Cup victory at The Stoop.
Antoine Dupont oozed class and Thomas Ramos dominated at 10 as five-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse put seven tries past Quins in west London.
Quins headed into this clash riding high off the back of a 36-3 win over Premiership leaders Sale, then last weekend’s impressive 31-28 victory in Paris over Racing 92.
Coaches Billy Millard and Danny Wilson have been eyeing consistency and a more robust approach this season. But just when Quins looked like turning those corners, Toulouse turned that on its head.
Pierre-Louis Barassi bagged a brace, with Dimitri Delibes, Peato Mauvaka and Matthis Lebel all crossing too. Rodrigue Neti glossed the score late on, before Ramos rounded off the rout – to complete a 17-point personal haul. Irne Herbst crossed twice for Quins, with Andre Esterhuizen going over to boot.
💥 @StadeToulousain are running riot at the Stoop!
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 17, 2023
Antoine Dupont 🤝 Thomas Ramos#InvestecChampionsCup | #HARvTLS pic.twitter.com/X7L5xTl1d4
But Quins were comfortably outmatched, and were left to lick frustrating wounds.
Their win in Paris last weekend over Racing at least keeps their hopes in this competition well and truly alive, but a significant uplift will be required for the final two pool fixtures in January.
A frenetic first five minutes, littered with mistakes but dominated by Quins, was then ended by Toulouse taking the lead. Barassi ghosted home after the hosts ceded possession cheaply midway inside their own half. Murley raced out of the line and missed both man and ball, that left Will Joseph stranded – and Barassi to stroll in.
Quins struck back immediately, Esterhuizen bulldozing the line and powering home.
Toulouse doubled their try tally just three minutes later though, Nick David outflanked by Pita Ahki on the left before the visitors swept back for Delibes to score on the right.
Quins set themselves right back on the attack, only for Dino Lamb to clash heads with Akhi. A delay of more than 10 minutes ensued while a team of medics organised the Quins lock’s departure on a stretcher. The delay hurt Quins and emboldened the French aristocrats.
Toulouse rode out the sin-bin without any change to the score, then added a third try once Ahki returned.
Pita Ahki has been yellow carded for head on head contact 🟨#InvestecChampionsCup | #HARvTLS pic.twitter.com/U1dyerJGWn
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 17, 2023
All the while Murley was severely impeded by a left ankle injury, to add to a right knee concern. Murley could hardly run, and certainly not at full speed.
After a second spell of lengthy treatment for the high-scoring wing, Toulouse struck again. Hooker Mauvaka strode home in centrefield and Ramos converted for a 21-7 lead with just five minutes of the half remaining.
Finally Quins roused from their mid-half slumber, with Lamb’s replacement Herbst ploughing over the line. Smith missed the tricky conversion though, leaving the hosts trailing 21-12 at the break.
Quins handed Toulouse the platform for their fourth and bonus-point score after the interval, as the more errors proved costly. Oscar Beard replaced the clearly suffering Murley, but conspired to try to run the ball from the in-goal area. Quins eventually scrambled a clearance, but straight from the 22 lineout Toulouse wing Lebel cut a smart line and shrugged off three defenders to go over the whitewash.
At least Quins were able to respond quickly and in kind, with Herbst capping a driven lineout for the home side’s third score. Smith’s conversion left the hosts trailing 28-19 with more than half an hour to play.
Quins rightly pressed high and hard on a kick chase after James Chisholm’s superlative turnover in his own 22 – only to fall prey to a classic counter-attack score. Blair Kinghorn set Ramos away from his own half, before Dupont exchanged passes with No 8 Alexandre Roumat. The superstar scrum-half then drew what cover remained, and sent Barassi haring home for his second try of the night.
Neti and Ramos still found time to claim tries of their own as Quins slipped off at the death.
