Saracens vs Toulouse match report: Sarries lay down a marker on sombre day

Saracens 32 Toulouse 7

American Chris Wyles dives over in the corner for the first of his two tries (Getty Images)

There were any number of stand-out performances among Saracens’ sizeable contingent of England players, not least by the hooker Jamie George whose dynamic heft around the field combined with near faultless line-out and scrummaging work marked him out as a contender for a Six Nations place. Where Saracens were much less happy was in missing out on a try-scoring bonus, having spent almost the entire second half stuck on three tries. Of course it all had to be weighed against the effect on their French visitors of the events that had unfolded in their capital city the night before.

With feelings extremely raw less than 24 hours after the Paris terror attacks, Toulouse requested that ‘La Marseillaise’ be played before kick-off, and it was duly piped through the loudspeakers immediately following an impeccably observed minute’s silence. There were 42 Toulouse players, coaching and medical staff lined up shoulder to shoulder on the pitch. Among those singing the French national anthem was Toby Flood, the former England and Leicester fly-half who is in his second season with arguably France’s most famous club, who have won the European title a record four times since its inception in 1995-96.

Toulouse had six full and three Under-20 French internationals in their XV but were back-pedalling almost constantly through the first half. Saracens went into a 3-0 lead after five minutes with an easy penalty in front of the posts for Owen Farrell, one of 10 England players in their starting line-up. Farrell doubled the lead in the 12th minute when uncapped back-row prospect Will Fraser showed his skills as Toulouse held on after the tackle. Then Saracens’ loosehead prop Mako Vunipola threw a nice inside ball that sent Farrell through a gap, and Vunipola followed up to drive over for his first try in 24 European Cup appearances.

Saracens have been England’s standard-bearers in recent years without being able to unseat the perennial champions Toulon, while Toulouse have been through significant change recently, with Guy Noves leaving to take charge of France after a remarkable 12 years as player and 22 years as coach with the club. The new head coach Ugo Mola, who played !2 Tests at wing and full-back in the 1990s, has guided Toulouse to second place in the Top 14 after eight matches but these were terribly off-putting circumstances in which to begin their latest European campaign against the English Premiership’s champions and current leaders. Five European matches involving French clubs playing at home were called off across the weekend, and the tournament organisers expect to announce new dates for them – almost certainly shoe-horned into midweek slots – later this week. Bath had flown out to Toulon on Saturday morning and flew straight back again.

Two more penalties by Farrell preceded a yellow card for Toulouse when Census Johnston dived round the rear of a Saracens maul and a scrum penalty kicked by Farrell for 22-0. Chris Wyles scored Saracens’ second try, in loads of space on the left wing after Maxime Medard and Vincent Clerc were sucked infield. And the winger was in again 92 seconds into the second half, after Brad Barritt intercepted a pass by Sebastien Bezy. But the Toulouse scrum-half shared in a measure of welcome relief when he converted a try dabbed over the line by the replacement hooker Christopher Tolofua.

Flood had been withdrawn at half-time, with Yann David joining Luke McAlister in attempting to rally Toulouse’s backs. But it seemed as if it was Saracens’ flow that had been punctured by changes from the bench. They had one last chance but the forwards were sloppily stripped of the ball to leave the bonus-point fourth try out of reach.

Teams

Saracens: A Goode; C Ashton, D Taylor (M Bosch, 65), B Barritt (capt), C Wyles; O Farrell (C Hodgson, 61), R Wigglesworth (N de Kock, 54); M Vunipola (R Gill, 44), J George (S Brits, 52), P du Plessis (J Figallo, 52), G Kruis, M Itoje, M Rhodes (A Hargreaves, 63), W Fraser (J Wray, 18-26, 70), B Vunipola.

Toulouse: M Medard (C Poitrenaud, 70); V Clerc, G Fickou, T Flood (Y David, 41), T Matanavou; L McAlister, S Bezy (J-M Doussain, 64); G Steenkamp (V Kakovin, 41), J Marchand (C Tolofua, 41), C Johnston (D Aldegheri, 54), Y Maestri (R Millo-Chluski, 63), J Tekori, Y Camara (I Harinordoquy, 46), T Dusautoir (capt), L Picamoles (Aldegheri, 31-39).

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).