Champions Toulon open with tough win over Scarlets

Reigning two-time champions Toulon began the defence of their European Rugby Champions Cup crown with a rugged 28-18 victory over a spirited Scarlets on Sunday.
Australian play-maker Matt Giteau, centre Maxime Mermoz and English No.8 Steffon Armitage crossed the whitewash as Toulon finally pulled away in the second half.
The result was enough to put the French champions top of Pool 3 ahead of their trip to Northern Ireland next weekend to face Ulster, who lost 25-18 at Leicester on Saturday.
But they were frustrated at failing to score a fourth try and secure a bonus point.
"We created opportunities and we were going for that bonus point at the end but we couldn't quite cross the line," full-back Leigh Halfpenny told France 2.
After Halfpenny and Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland exchanged penalties, the hosts scored the opening try following clever midfield interplay between Giteau, who touched down, and Mermoz.
Halfpenny, though, failed to convert as the ball fell off the tee and he ran out of time to take his kick.
Scarlets were proving durable opponents, though, and they went ahead after a converted try of their own.
Liam Williams broke through weak tackles from Mermoz and Halfpennny and although he was held up short of the line, flanker John Barclay was on hand to take a pass from the back of the ruck and charge over, although he comically dived on the ball and managed to wind himself.
Just two minutes later Mermoz charged down Scott Williams's clearing kick in the Welsh side's 22 and showed nifty footballing skills to dribble the ball over the line and touch down -- Halfpenny converting this time.
An exchange of penalties between Welsh international teammates Halfpenny and Priestland at the end of the half left the scores at 18-13.
Toulon failed to take advantage of Emyr Phillips's sin-binning early in the second half but as soon as he returned to the fray, Halfpenny kicked a penalty from halfway to extend the champions' lead.
Scarlets' resistance was finally broken 10 minutes from time as Armitage burrowed over after a period of pressure on the Welsh line -- the Englishman's appearance almost certainly putting paid to any suggestions of a transfer back to his homeland before the World Cup as he would be cup-tied in Europe.
However, the Welsh region kept plugging away and had the final say as Kristian Phillips went over in the final minute after a sweeping backs move started from their own half.
- Leinster fight back against Wasps -
In Dublin, two tries from Darragh Fanning saw Leinster overturn a nine-point deficit at half-time to beat Wasps 25-20 in a tough clash involving two sides who between them had been crowned champions of Europe five times.
Leinster were 20-11 behind at the break, Wasps scoring tries through Alapati Leiua and a scorching effort from wing Christian Wade, with Fanning crossing for his first in-between.
But three-times European champions Leinster, with the wind behind them in the second half, hit back through Fanning's second try and they took a decisive lead when Dominic Ryan stretched out for the line and was awarded a try after a lengthy adjudication by the replay official.
However, Wasps at least had the consolation of a losing bonus point.
"The reality is you've got to win. If you are good enough to get a (bonus) point, we would have taken that, but (it's) pleasing to get the result," said Leinster coach Matt O'Connor.
Earlier, record four-time champions Toulouse beat fellow French Top 14 outfit Montpellier 30-23.
In a see-saw battle, a brilliant individual try from Toulouse scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain, who broke down the left wing before chipping ahead and winning the foot-race to touch down, proved the difference.
"It was very important for us to win this match, we know that Montpellier are able to win at any ground in France and Europe," said Toulouse forwards coach William Servat.
Toulouse now trail Glasgow, who thumped Bath 37-10 on Saturday, in Pool 4, with the Scots travelling to Montpellier next weekend and the English side, champions in 1998, entertaining the four-time winners.
In Sunday's other early match, Ospreys ran in five tries to secure a bonus point victory in a 42-7 thumping of Italian outfit Treviso.
Source: AFP