LONDON, 18 December 2005 — Reigning champions Toulouse moved within sight of the European Cup quarterfinals after a 35-13 win over Edinburgh on Friday saw them stay top of Pool Six.
In the day’s other Pool matches, English clubs Sale and Bath also strengthened their bid for last eight places, each team finishing the day with a perfect played four, won four record in Europe this season.
Premiership leaders Sale thrashed Castres 35-3 to stay top of Pool One while Bath remained at the head of Pool Four with a 29-10 win away to Glasgow.
French giants Toulouse, who now have three wins and a draw from four games — they drew 15-15 away to Wasps — were left eight points clear of Welsh side Llanelli, who play the English champions yesterday.
Flanker Finau Maka gave Toulouse the lead with a try after just three minutes with Jean-Baptiste Elissalde converting.
But the Scots, who were edged 20-13 in the first meeting between the two sides in Edinburgh last week, stayed in touch through fly-half Phil Godman’s drop-goal and a Chris Paterson penalty.
The French side, however, took a stranglehold on the tie with two tries in two minutes.
Lock Romain Millochlusky became Toulouse’s second forward to cross with a try in the 33rd minute, which was converted by standoff Jean-Frederic Dubois.
Toulouse then extended their lead when Florian Fritz came off the replacements bench to go over. Again, Dubois added the extra points.
Edinburgh then pulled the score back to 21-13 at the interval thanks to Paterson converting his own try at the end of the first half.
Dubois put the French back in the driving seat with a 56th-minute try converted by Elissalde to make the score 28-13.
That also gave the champions a precious bonus point. But they weren’t finished.
France international flanker Yannick Nyanga, who had come off the bench to replace Finau Maka early in the first half, added a fifth try on the night with Elissalde again successful with the extra points to stretch the home side’s advantage.
At Edgeley Park, Sale’s France international back-row Sebastien Chabal showed his compatriots in the Castres side no mercy as he scored two tries.
Chabal, who earlier this week signed an extension to his contract that will keep him with the English club until 2009, crossed either side of halftime.
Former England captain Jason Robinson added another try after the break before replacement Robert Todd’s try late on secured a bonus point.
England flyhalf Charlie Hodgson kicked 15 points as the Sharks, 20-16 winners in France last week, completed a double over Castres.
The visitors, who conceded 19 unanswered points in the second-half, only had Romain Teulet’s opening period penalty to show for their efforts.
Bath are now eight points ahead of Irish province Leinster, who are away to French club Borgoin on Saturday in Pool 5.
Bath completed a double of their own in Glasgow which left the Scottish side with four defeats from four matches following on from last week’s narrow 31-26 reverse against the same opponents.
England lock Danny Grewcock scored one of Bath’s four tries in this bonus-point win.
Bath were only 10-3 ahead at halftime after Nick Walshe had touched down.
Grewcock though extended the visitors’ lead seconds after the re-start before Canada international prop Kevin Tkachuk’s try gave Glasgow fresh hope.
However, Bath were in charge again on the hour mark through Tom Cheeseman’s try before Michael Stephenson’s score gained the bonus point.
