End of an era as Toulon monster Munster

Two-time champions Munster failed to reach the European Cup rugby quarter-finals for the first time since the 1997/98 season after they received a 32-16 thrashing by French debutants Toulon on Sunday.

Two tries and 22 points by English World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson also saw the heavily-financed Toulon outfit assured of topping the hotly-contested Pool 3 and a place in the last eight.

Welsh side Ospreys will also miss out on the last eight – a stage they have reached the past three seasons – as they surprisingly went down 24-12 at London Irish, the Exiles’ first win in 11 matches.

On a good day for French sides, defending champions Toulouse progressed without even playing as their closest rivals in Pool 6, two-time champions Wasps, suffered a shock 20-10 defeat away at Glasgow.

Wasps host Toulouse next weekend in the final round of matches and must hope that they beat their opponents and the other results go for them so they snatch one of the two best runners-up spots and a place in the quarter-finals.

“It is a magical weekend. To qualify another time for the quarter-finals, is exceptional,” Toulouse iconic head coach Guy Noves told AFP.

“It is a deserved qualification. It is due reward for the work done by the players and the coaching staff. I am very proud of what we have accomplished.”

Toulon took the match by the scruff of the neck from the outset as three early penalties by Wilkinson gave them a 9-3 cushion against a flat Munster outfit.

The hosts turned the screw on Munster when they scored the opening try as a cheeky chip over the defence by veteran scrum-half Pierre Mignoni was caught by Tongan-born Japanese international Christian Loamanu, beating Doug Howlett and Paul Warwick, and he touched down.

Wilkinson landed the conversion and although Ronan O’Gara scored a penalty to make it a 10-point deficit, the Irish self-destructed again.

Veteran Irish lock Donncha O’Callaghan was sin-binned in the 33rd minute for throwing an opponent to the ground off the ball and Toulon profited fully from that blunder as Wilkinson landed the resulting penalty.

Worse was to follow as the inspired Mignoni cut the Irish defence to ribbons creating a huge overlap which, though nearly spoilt by a wild pass from Joe van Niekerk, was well recovered by Paul Sackey and the England winger burrowed over to score in the corner.

Wilkinson landed a sublime conversion from wide out on the right to make it 26-6, with the damage being only marginally reduced by another O’Gara penalty on the stroke of half-time.

However, Wilkinson added a penalty shortly after the restart to make it 29-9 and Munster’s nightmare afternoon got even worse shortly before the 50th minute mark when O’Gara was yellow carded for what even the linesman termed ‘handbags’ as the Irishman and Mignoni went at each other.

Wilkinson added another penalty with O’Gara still off the pitch to make it 32-9 and the Irish hopes of sparking a revival were further dimmed when Howlett dived to touch down in the corner but it was ruled out for being in touch.