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Toulouse face Leinster in Champions Cup after landing Sharks

By PA
Thomas Ramos of Toulouse breaks clear to score his second try during the Heineken Champions Cup match between Toulouse and Sharks at Stade Ernest Wallon on April 08, 2023 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Toulouse booked their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final spot with a 54-20 victory over Sharks at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

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The five-time European champions made a statement of intent by scoring seven tries with full-back 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.

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A Curwin Bosch penalty and Grant Williams’ 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.

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

Mallia scorched over for his second try and Sharks’ hopes were dented when Williams’ 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.

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Toulouse will travel to Dublin to play Leinster in the semi-final later this month.

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c
cw 8 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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