image source, Getty Images
- author, mantei man
- role, bbc sports journalist
Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson said the damage was done in the first half as they lost 38-26 to Toulouse in their first Investec Champions Cup semi-final.
Quins led 31-12 at halftime, but cut the deficit to five points in the second half, threatening to upset the five-time champions at the Stadium de Toulouse.
Minutes before Jack Walker's yellow card hampered his team's progress, Toulouse finally broke through Quinn's resistance and Juan Cruz María scored his sixth try of the match and the first goal of the second half.
“We finished at the breakdown but they counter-raced and turned us over,” Wilson told BBC Radio 5 Sport Extra.
“When you go through a lot of stages to break down a team like we do, when the breakdown is not very good, you run into problems.
“The best teams don't just have turnovers, they score off turnovers, so that really hurt us.
“Maybe the yellow card was the moment we lost momentum. I can understand the decision given the letter of the law, but it was an important moment and they scored straight away to give us the cushion.”
Toulouse scored five tries in the first half and were going well until Quins hit back through Kaydan Marley and Tyrone Green.
Wilson said he was “proud” of his players for making the comeback.
“We looked like Quins again [in the second half]we solved our breakdown issues, we got some ball speed, and we looked like we were going to score every time we got into their 22,” he added.
“It's the first time the club has reached a European semi-final, so it's always going to be a learning experience.
“Most of what we've learned is positive. It shows we're moving in the right direction. I'm proud of what we've done, but some of you… Some people always look at it and think, what could we have done better?”
'There's a lot of work to do' ahead of Leinster meeting
Former England flanker Jack Willis won the Top 14 title with Toulouse last season and the win against Quins took him and his team-mates one game closer to winning this year's league and Champions Cup double.
The French side will face Leinster in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 25, but Willis said there is “a lot of work to do” before Toulouse can add the record-breaking No. 6 star to their jersey. Told.
“It's great to be in the finals. I can't wait,” Willis said.
“The speed of our play and the way we score tries is great. We've given Quins access with that, so we just need to make sure our discipline is better.”
“The players stayed pretty calm and composed and knew we could get back on the field.
“It’s going to be a big game against Leinster and I’m very happy to be a part of it.”
The 27-year-old is currently ineligible to add to his 14 Test caps due to Rugby Football Union (RFU) rules that only Premiership players can be selected for the England squad. He said he was “grateful” to be able to participate. Toulouse setup.
“This is a great team and a great place to play rugby,” Willis added.
“The atmosphere is incredible, walk-ins [to the stadium], people were hitting buses and smoke bombs were exploding. I get really motivated in matches like this. ”
