Jonny Wilkinson kicked six penalties and a drop goal to help Toulon keep their dream of successive Heineken Cup titles alive as they beat Munster 24-16 in a tense battle in Marseilles on Sunday. Munster scored the only try of the game, through Simon Zebo.
Former England star Wilkinson helped the French side reach the Cardiff final, where they will face Saracens at the Millennium Stadium on 24 May. He kicked 21 points, while Delon Armitage added a massive penalty kick from about 55m out.
Toulon are now on track for a European and domestic double, and a chance of becoming the third side to ever successfully defend the title. Leicester and Leinster are the other two who did it before.
“It was a hell of a game and we were in danger everywhere on the field,” said Wilkinson.
“A five point lead was never going to be enough and even eight was tight – Munster were relentless and kept going at us. We’ve heard nothing but good stuff about Saracens. They are top of the Aviva Premiership and are consistent week in, week out.
“To beat Clermont Auvergne with a scoreline like that is incredible – it’s normally the other way round with them. We have an enormous amount of respect for them.”
He is now on 100 points for the season, and on course to better the 108 he totalled last season.
The final will feature a great match up between Wilkinson and Owen Farrell. Should the match be tied and go through extra time, with both teams having scored the same amount of tries, it will go to a place kicking penalty shoot-out contest, as it did in the 2009 semi final.
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