Toulon 21-20 Scarlets: Welsh side come from 18-0 down to give Toulon a fright
Last Updated: 16/10/17 12:05am
Scarlets gave three-time Champions Cup winners Toulon an almighty fright before finally being edged out 21-20 in their Pool Five encounter in France.
The Welsh side bounced back from letting the home side take an 18 point lead as they forced their noses in front in the second half, but came up just short.
Toulon scored at a point a minute in the opening quarter of an hour as they punished Scarlets. They scored two tries and looked in complete control of their opening game of the tournament.
Scrum half Eric Escande intercepted a pass from opposite number Aled Davies from a line-out near halfway to scamper 40 metres to the line, and then skipper Guilhem Guirado rounded off a thrilling break out from the 22 with a corner try.
Outside half Anthony Belleau converted Escande's try and also kicked two penalties to leave the Scarlets trailing by 18 points.
But they were eventually able to get their hands on some possession, found a way to stop the home side's power runners and at least got some points on the board before the break when Leigh Halfpenny kicked a penalty against his former club.
Home full-back Hugo Bonneval was then sent to the sin-bin for taking out Davies at the breakdown and the Scarlets almost scored at the end of the first half with a one man advantage.
Johnny McNicholl reached the line after a sweeping move from right to left, but lost the ball in the act of scoring.
The Scarlets made their extra man count at the start of the second half when McNicholl leaped above Chris Ashton to pick off a cross-kick from Rhys Patchell to score a try that Halfpenny converted.
Things got even better eight minutes later when the Scarlets and Lions full-back knifed through for a try that he converted to make it a one-point game.
Now it was the visitors who were in the ascendancy and when Halfpenny stepped up to kick a penalty on the hour, it was Scarlets who were ahead after scoring 20 unanswered points.
The lead did not last long because four minutes later Tadhg Beirne was penalised at the breakdown and Francois Trinh-Duc regained the lead for his side with a 30-metre penalty.
The drama did not end there as Halfpenny kicked a difficult penalty wide of the mark and Toulon's Sebastien Tillous-Borde was held up over the line in the 81st minute.