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Last-gasp Ramos penalty sends Toulouse into Champions Cup semis / Photo: © AFP
NYSE - LSE
Last-gasp Ramos penalty sends Toulouse into Champions Cup semis
Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos slotted a late penalty as the Champions Cup holders edged fellow French club Toulon 21-18 on Sunday to reach the semi-finals.
Ramos had missed three earlier shots at goal before his 81st-minute effort booked a last four tie for the record six-time winners against Bordeaux-Begles on the weekend of May 2-4.
Toulon full-back Melvyn Jaminet kicked all of the hosts points but they missed out on a first Champions Cup semi since their third straight title in 2015.
Four-time winners Leinster host Northampton in the other fixture in the next round after the Irish province hammered Glasgow 52-0 on Friday.
The English club thrashed Castres 51-16 on Saturday to set-up a repeat of last season's semi, won by the hosts in Dublin.
After a niggly first half on the Cote d'Azur, Toulon led 12-6 with Jaminet slotting four penalties and Ramos kicking two for the visitors.
Both sides had tries chalked off by the officials in the opening 40 minutes.
Toulon winger Gael Drean and Toulouse scrum-half Paul Graou, standing in for the injured Antoine Dupont, were denied due to handling errors in unusually wet conditions on the Mediterranean coast.
Just before the break, referee Matthew Carley warned both captains any further off-the-ball incidents would lead to a yellow card, with the vocal home crowd whistling in the background.
With half an hour left, Top 14 champions Toulouse led 18-12 as England flanker Jack Willis and Tonga centre Pita Ahki crossed, with Toulon scrum-half Baptiste Serin yellow carded for a high tackle.
Jaminet, who is still waiting to be paid 450,000 euros ($511,000) by Toulouse for his 2022 transfer from Perpignan, brought the sides level 18-all to set-up a tense final quarter of an hour.
Ramos was handed a chance for the winner with three minutes left but missed for a third time during the game, wasting eight points from the tee.
With Toulouse still in control, Toulon winger Gabin Villiere was penalised near his own try line and Ramos made up for his earlier mistakes by slotting over a penalty with the clock already in the red.
V.Mitchell--SFF
