Toulouse beat Harlequins 38-26 to reach Champions Cup final

Toulouse 38-26 Harlequins, Stadium de Toulouse

Toulouse managed to withstand a second half comeback from Harlequins as they defeated them with a 38-26 margin at Stadium de Toulouse to reach the final of the Investec Champions Cup.

They will now face Leinster in the final of the competition at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 25th May.

Toulouse opened the account in the third minute as a wide pass from Romain Ntamack allowed Matthis Lebel to go over the line in the 3rd minute but Blair Kinghorn missed out on the conversion making it 5-0.

The response from the Quins came in the 13th minute as Marcus Smith breached the defence hosts to dive under the posts and he converted his own try to put the visitors in front.

The French side bounced back in the 17th minute when Peato Mauvaka bundled over for their second try but Will Evans dotting down in the 23rd minute at the back of a driving maul meant the scores were levelled at 12-12.

Nevertheless, Toulouse dominated the remaining of the first half with Thibaud Flament seizing on a looseball to dot down in the 26th minute and shortly Antonie Dupont scored back to back tries to ensure the French side completed the opening half with a 31-12 lead.

The Quins showed better intent at the start of the second half with Cadan Murley diving in the corner for their third try before full-back Tyrone Green ran onto the ball from deep to break to complete their fourth try. Smith kicked both the conversions making it 31-26.

Harlequins' momentum was dented when Jack Walker was sin-binned in the 66th minute and with the numerical advantage on their side Juan Cruz Mallia went over in the corner for the decisive try as Toulouse completed a 12 point victory to reach the final of the competition.

Team line up:

Toulouse: Kinghorn; Cruz Mallia, Costes, Ahki, Lebel; Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Baille, Mauvaka, Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Willis, Roumat.

Reserves: Marchand, Neti, Merkler, Arnold, Castro-Ferreira, Graou, Chocobares, Ramos.

Harlequins: Green; Lynagh, Northmore, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Baxter, Walker, Collier, Herbst, Lewies (capt), Cunningham-South, Evans, Dombrandt.

Reserves: Riley, Marler, Kerrod, Hammond, Chisholm, Porter, Evans, Beard.