Heineken Cup: Toulon 21-15 Leicester

Jonny Wilkinson was thrilled to boot Toulon into the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup and admits it is such successes that have kept him in the game.

Scorers: Toulon – Pens: Wilkinson (6). Drop goal: Wilkinson. Leicester – Pens: Flood (5).

The former England fly-half slotted six penalties and a late drop-goal as the French giants shattered Leicester Tigers’ European dreams.

Wilkinson had been considering hanging up his boots at the end of the season but he penned a one-year extension earlier this month for victories like this over Leicester, whose points all came from Toby Flood penalties. He said after yesterday’s 21-15 success: “It’s a great victory for the club. It was a big occasion and this is a first for us. That is why I signed a new contract, for days like this.”

Wilkinson and Toulon now return to domestic action before facing Saracens in the European semi-finals at Twickenham on 28 April.

Toulon: D. Armitage; Wulf, Bastareaud, Giteau, Palisson; Wilkinson, Tillous-Borde; Sheridan, Bruno, Hayman, Botha, Kennedy, Fernandez Lobbe, S. Armitage, Masoe. Replacements: Mermoz for Bastareaud (79), Martin for Palisson (68), Jenkins for Sheridan (58), Ivaldi for Bruno (56), van Niekerk for S. Armitage (74).

Leicester: Tait; Morris, Tuilagi, Allen, Thompstone; Flood, B. Youngs; Ayerza, T. Youngs, Cole, Slater, Parling, Croft, Salvi, Crane. Replacements: Castrogiovanni for Thompstone (67), Mulipola for Ayerza (54), Kitchener for Slater (65), Waldrom for Croft (39).

Referee: George Clancey (RFU)