HARELQUINS 19, TOULOUSE 23
Ugo Monye can't stop Quins blowing 14-point lead
HARLEQUINS blew a 14-point lead as their post-Bloodgate horror show continued.
In the first European game at The Stoop since Dean Richards' substitution of Tom Williams sparked a scandal, Quins had a chance to put the matter to bed.
But they must be wondering how on earth they failed to beat a Toulouse side who didn't turn up for 40 minutes.
A win over the three-time Heineken Cup champions would have given the beleaguered Londoners the tonic they so desperately need.
But after coasting into a 14-point lead, they wasted a golden chance and face elimination from a tournament many felt they should have been booted out of anyway.
Quins dominated a dire first half in which the visitors looked like they would rather have been anywhere else but West London.
John Kingston's side barely had to break sweat to chalk up 14 unanswered points.
Two-try winger Ugo Monye was a gutted man after the match.
He said: "I thought at 14-0 we were in a really good position, but fair play to Toulouse.
"They threw everything at us. Once again we couldn't look after the ball and it was game over for us.
"If you give away two soft tries against a world-class team like that, then you're going to have your backs against the wall."
Both sides lost key back-row men, with Quins skipper Will Skinner forced off with an ankle problem and Toulouse flanker Yannick Nyanga also suffering a leg injury.
Nick Evans kicked three penalties to punish Toulouse for some schoolboy defending that at times bordered on unprofessional.
Visiting full-back Maxime Medard was largely responsible.
He set the tone by dropping the first kick of of the game and the 22-year-old endured a miserable opening 40 minutes. Unsurprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen when Monye scorched over for a stunning try midway through the half.
The England and Lions flyer is growing in stature with every game and last night he played with a vigour and energy that would have left Martin Johnson purring.
He took his first try superbly by speeding outside Jean-Baptiste Elissalde before jinking inside Byron Kelleher and Yves Donguy. Toulouse somehow found themselves back in the game shortly after halftime when referee Alain Rolland failed to spot a forward pass by Shaun Sowerby.
Quins twice failed to clear their lines and Donguy scooted in when the ball popped up at the side of a ruck.
Moments later Toulouse were level when Sowerby flopped over from a short lineout and Elissalde converted. Quins struck back when Monye latched on to Mike Brown's clever grubber kick, although Evans was unable to convert. Elissalde kicked a 59th-minute penalty to set up a nerve-jangling finish.
Toulouse replacement Freddie Michalak put the visitors in front for the first time on 62 minutes and a long-range Florian Fritz penalty sealed a remarkable turnaround.
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