RC Toulon 25 Leinster Rugby 20

Toulon reached a third successive European Cup final by beating then three-time champions Leinster after extra time in an enthralling semi-final.

Wing Bryan Habana scored a dramatic interception try for Toulon on 90 minutes, with full-back Leigh Halfpenny kicking the TOP 14 outfit’s other 20 points to help them edge the contest.

Halfpenny exchanged penalties with Leinster centre Ian Madigan for much of the game, with latter’s three successful efforts seeing the Irish province head into half-time with a 9-6 lead.

The second of Halfpenny’s two second-half strikes put Toulon in front on 67 minutes, only for Madigan to level things up moments later.

Both sides had chances to snatch victory late in normal time, Leinster fly-half Jimmy Gopperth dragging a drop-goal attempt wide with three minutes to play, before Toulon wing Delon Armitage missed a penalty with the clock in the red.

The clash therefore progressed to extra time, with Halfpenny and Madigan trading further penalties during the first five minutes, before Toulon lock Ali Williams was sin-binned for making contact with Leinster counterpart Devin Toner in the air.

Halfpenny put 14-man Toulon back in front with a huge kick from close to halfway before the defining moment from Habana with an hour and a half played.

The South Africa international picked off Madigan’s looping pass and unleashed his trademark turn of pace before diving over. Halfpenny’s conversion put Toulon 25-15 up.

Leinster rallied and reduced the deficit when flanker Sean O’Brien dotted down following a rolling maul, but Gopperth’s conversion hit an upright, ultimately leaving them with too much to do over the remaining six minutes.

Toulon went on to beat ASM Clermont Auvergne 24-18 in the final to seal a third European Cup title in three years.

As EPCR’s 2022 finals at the iconic Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in May edge ever closer, we have been reflecting on some of the epic European encounters the venue has hosted. We continue our series with a look at the 2015 European Cup semi-final between RC Toulon and Leinster Rugby.