Arnold double extends Toulouse’s winning run after Picamoles stretched off
TOULOUSE made it four wins from four but had to wait until the dying seconds to clinch a 26-18 success over Montpellier in Pool 5 of the Champions Cup at the Altrad Stadium.
The home side were desperate for their second win and pushed the visitors all the way. They trailed only 18-21 going into a tense finale before replacement Lucas Tauzin struck with seconds remaining in the corner to secure victory for Toulouse.
The game started in dramatic fashion when Montpellier's star forward Louis Picamoles was carried off on a stretcher after an innocuous looking incident which saw his knee buckle.
Montpellier recovered well from the big setback and dominated the opening exchanges but Toulouse broke out in devastating fashion on 15 minutes when a six-man handling move created the opening for flyhalf Romain Ntamack to sprint over, adding to the two tries he scored in last week's clash between the sides.
Montpellier were in the fight though and were rewarded when flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo was on hand to touchdown after good work by Thomas Darmon and Johan Goosen's conversion drew them level.
Two Goosen penalties put the home side ahead but the home fly-half then put a foot in touch as he fielded a kick close to his own line and Toulouse took advantage with a quickly taken line-out which resulted in Wallabies second rower Rory Arnold plunging over to give his side a 14-13 half-time advantage.
Man of the match Arnold added a second try after the break but Montpellier were right back in it on the hour when giant winger Nemani Nadolo stretched out to score in the corner and cut Toulouse's lead to only three point before Tauzin's late hammer blow.
REFEREE: Nigel Owens
ATTENDANCE: 11,366
Star man
Rory Arnold – Toulouse
TEAMS
MONTPELLIER: Darmon (Serfontein 61), Martin, Reihac, Steyn, Nadolo, Goosen, Fotuali'i (Sanga 57); Fichten (Nariashvili 58), du Plessis (Delhommel 61), Haouas (Guillamon 61), Jamse van Rensburg (Ledevedec 68), Mikautadze, Ouedraogo, Bardy (Kornath 53), Picamoles (Timu 3)
TOULOUSE: Ramos, Kolbe (Tauzin 61), Guitoune, Ahki, Medard, Ntamack (Holmes 57), Bezy; Baille (Castets 41), Mauvaka (Marchand 57), Tafili (van Dyk 41), Arnold (Elstadt 51), Tekori (Galan 68), Kaino, Cros, Tolofua
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