Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola said on Sunday that South African teams “have turned things around” in the Champions Cup after his French club secured a round of 16 tie at home against the Bulls with a 1-0 win. 20-16 over Munster.
Sharks, Stormers and Pretoria Bulls have reached the knockout stage in their first participation in the competition previously only played by European teams.
A record five-time champion, Tolosa only needed a bonus point in a replay of the 2008 final to secure home-field advantage with the next round to be played in early April, when they play the Bulls.
“The South African teams have turned things upside down,” Mola told reporters.
“You can also play with them since they are here. I can’t wait,” he added.
Munster could have claimed a home tie for themselves with a bonus points win against the Top 14 leaders.
Nine of the 11 Toulouse players called up in France’s squad for the Six Nations were part of matchday 23 on Sunday.
Fly-half Joey Carbery started for the away side days after being omitted from Ireland’s Six Nations setup, while Jack Crowley, selected for the national team, was at inside centre.
The home team led 11-8 at half time when winger John Hodnett answered for the visitors after Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallia launched early for Toulouse.
Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne silenced the home crowd eight minutes after half-time when he found a way through the defence, though Carbery missed a second conversion.
Munster led 13-11 with half an hour to go but still needed to pick up a bonus point to claim a round of 16 tie at home.
Saracens at home
Toulouse camped out within 22 meters of Munster and Melvyn Jaminet added a fifth three-pointer with six minutes to go to clinch the home spot.
Later, in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh held on to beat Saracens, who won the last of their three titles in 2019.
Despite the 20-14 defeat, the English team claimed a knockout match on their own ground.
Earlier, Montpellier’s South African scrum-half Cobus Reinach knocked London Irish out of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup with a try to secure a 21-21 draw.
The French club had already qualified for the next stage of the top flight.
By the end of Saturday’s action, every team in the last 16 was known, including Leinster, who defeated Racing 92 36-10 at Lansdowne Road, the site of the May 20 final to claim top spot in Group A.
