BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | European | Toulouse nullify Newport

Newport 19-34 Toulouse

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A superb all-round performance from Toulouse saw Newport fall to their eighth successive defeat.

It was a dominant display from the winners of the first Heineken Cup, as they scored four tries to the home side's one.

Toulouse have been struggling this season, but on this performance they will be back amongst the favourites to reclaim the trophy.

Match details:

Newport 19
Try: J Forster
Con: J Strange
Pens: J Strange (4)

Toulouse 34
Tries: C Labit, Y Delaigue, F Pelous, C Heymans
Cons: J-B Elissalde (4)
Pens: Elissalde, Y Delaigue

Newport have not won a game since 11 May and this defeat surely spells the end of their European ambitions.

The French visitors exploded out of the blocks, Irish international flanker Trevor Brennan leading a rampant forward effort.

The brutality up front was matched by the skills behind, left wing Vincent Clerc making the break for the first try that saw flanker Christian Labit crossing under the posts.

Clerc was running wild, exposing out-of-position opposite number Matt Pini in the 12th minute, only to be denied by a superb Andrew Powell covering tackle.

A neat back-row move and some nifty recycling gave the space to fly-half Yann Delaigue for the second try, and the French were flying.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde kicked 11 points
Newport kept nagging away, though, and, for all Toulouse's dominance, the unnerring boot of Jason Strange kept them in contention.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, an innocuous line out on the Toulouse 22 was claimed by Powell.

The entire pack drove on him and rumbled to the posts where poacher-supreme Jason Forster claimed the try.

After the break it was again the Toulouse back row who took the upper hand, though.

A dynamic Labit break led to a scrum near the Newport line that had the Black and Ambers pack in desperate trouble.

Isitoto Maka had the time to pick up and feed Fabien Pelous who strolled under the posts.

With the pack supplying perfect ball the Toulouse backs were enjoying themselves, a Delaigue chip leading to a try for wing Cedric Haymans.

The French strolled through to the end of the game, the only black mark on their night coming when centre Xavier Garbajosa was sent off for a second yellow-card offence.

We're taking the Heineken Cup seriously this year

Toulouse flanker Trevor Brennan

Rut

After the game Newport flanker Jason Forster said: "We've got to try to get that elusive win to get our confidence back.

"When you're in a rut it's a hard slog."

Toulouse's Trevor Brennan sounded an ominous warning to the rest of Europe:

"We're taking the Heineken Cup seriously this year," said the former Irish international.

Newport: S Howarth, M Pini, M Mostyn, A Marinos, L Nabaro, J Strange, O Tonu'u, R Snow, J Richards, C Anthony, S Raiwalui (capt), M Voyle, S Ojomoh, J Forster, A Powell
Reps: H Luscombe, S Williams, D Burn, C Jones, P Young, M Veater, J Powell

Toulouse: Poitreneau, Ntamack, Jauzion, Garbajosa, Clerc, Delaigue, Elissalde, Collazo, Bru, Poux, Lamboley, Pelous, Brennan, Labit, I Maka
Reps: Lecouls, Fiorini, Millochlusky, F. Maka, Michalak, Heymans, Desbrosse

Ref: Chris White (England)

Att: 6,730


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