Toulouse resist courageous Harlequins fightback in 10-try Champions Cup thriller | EUROtoday

Suddenly, Harlequins have been inside 5. Evans and Luke Northmore stifled Toulouse with jackal turnovers out extensive, organising a fascinating final-quarter shoot-out. Just as they have been eying a victory for the ages, Harlequins blinked once more.

A yellow card for Jack Walker, following a slipshod clear-out on Dupont, arrived with 14 minutes to go. Both Mola and Dupont acknowledged it as a crucial turning level. Andrew Brace and his tv match official (TMO) Olly Hodges deliberated on the collision as a Who Wants to be a Millionaire-style heartbeat performed over the stadium audio system, which can’t have been useful. They couldn’t ask the viewers, who have been jeering vociferiously.

Mallía’s attempt adopted instantly and Harlequins have been lastly snuffed out after Brace reversed a penalty when Joe Marler cuffed Thomas Ramos. At the ultimate whistle, as Harlequins crossed the touchline and thanked their followers, the departing Esterhuizen lower a disconsolate determine. He and Will Collier, a unbelievable tighthead prop, will take some changing. All they’ll do now, as Toulouse sit up for a mouth-watering revenge mission towards Leinster, is channel satisfaction and dejection into the race for a top-four spot within the Premiership.

Match particulars

Scoring: 5-0 Lebel attempt, 5-5 Smith attempt, 5-7 Smith conversion, 10-7 Mauvaka attempt, 12-7 Kinghorn conversion, 12-12 Evans attempt, 17-12 Flament attempt, 22-12 Dupont attempt, 24-12 Kinghorn conversion, 29-12 Dupont attempt, 31-12 Kinghorn conversion, 31-17 Murley attempt, 31-19 Smith conversion, 31-24 Green attempt, 31-26 Smith conversion, 36-26 Mallía attempt, 38-26 Ramos conversion

Toulouse: B Kinghorn; J Cross Mallia, P Costs (S Chocobars, 70), P Ahki, M Lebel (T Branches, 54); R Ntamack, A Dupont (c); C Baille (R Neti, 61), P Mauvaka (J Marchand, 51), D Aldegheri, J Merkler, 61, T Flament, E Meafou, R Arnold, F Cros, J Willis, M Castro-Ferreira (72). ), In Rome
Replacement not used: P Graou

Harlequins: T Green; L Lynagh (S Riley, 71), L Northmore (O Beard, 76), A Esterhuizen, C Murley; M Smith, D Care (W Porter, 63); F Baxter, J Walker (J Evans, 78), W Collier (S Kerrod, 63), I Herbst (G Hammond, 72), S Lewies (c), C Cunningham-South, W Evans (J Chisholm, 68), A Dombrandt
Yellow card: Walker 66

Attendance: 32,494

Toulouse v Harlequins: As it occurred