Rees-Zammit limps off injured as Toulouse end Gloucester's Champions Cup hopes

Wales hopeful Louis Rees-Zammit limped off injured as Gloucester’s Heineken Champions Cup hopes ended with a 35-14 defeat at Toulouse.

The 18-year-old was selected in his first Six Nations squad by new Wales boss Wayne Pivac last week but left the field in the first half.

Tries from Joe Tekori, Romain Ntamack (two), Julien Marchand and Cyril Baille were enough to secure Toulouse a home quarter-final against Ulster. Thomas Ramos also contributed 10 points from the kicking tee.

Rees-Zammit and Jason Woodward scored Gloucester’s tries, with Billy Twelvetrees kicking four points.

In the full knowledge they needed to win with a try bonus point to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stages, Gloucester went on the attack from the word go.

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And they were celebrating their first try after two minutes, with a well-timed cross kick from Lloyd Evans allowing Rees-Zammit to touch down.

Twelvetrees converted to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead. But Toulouse hit back soon after when Samoa international Tekori powered over from short-range courtesy of a well-worked driving lineout, with Ramos adding the extras.

The hosts took the ascendancy with an imperious break from scrum-half Antoine Dupont, who drew his man to put Ntamack over.

Ramos converted but Gloucester regained possession and came mightily close to a second try.

Inside centre Mark Atkinson fumbled the ball forward into the hands of Ramos with the try line at his mercy. Ramos sped from his own five metre line into Gloucester’s 22 but was stopped in his tracks by a magnificent cover tackle from Rees-Zammit.

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The ball was recycled to Cheslin Kolbe who was the victim of a high tackle by Gloucester outside-half Evans, who was given 10 minutes in the sin bin.

Toulouse made the most of their numerical advantage when Ntamack danced his way past three defenders for their third try, with Ramos converting.

Just when Toulouse looked to be coasting to a comfortable victory, a break from Evans put Woodward over for a try. Twelvetrees converted meaning Gloucester turned around 21-14 behind.

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Toulouse flexed their muscles in the early stages of the second-half with a terrific break from Kolbe and some lovely hands from Ramos, resulting in Marchant crossing from short-range.

And the hosts put the result beyond doubt when replacement hooker Baille smashed his way over after a series of powerful scrums by the French club.

Tempers flared during the closing stages when Gloucester’s Alex Craig and Toulouse’s Selevasio Tolofua were sent to the sin bin for fighting.

The hosts went for the Gloucester line in the closing stages, with their scrummaging forcing the visitors to consistently infringe which resulted in Alex Seville being sent to the sin bin.

PA