Wilko guides Toulon to win

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson played a key role as Toulon edged past Connacht 19-12 in their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final at Galway on Friday night.

Wilkinson kicked three penalties and a drop goal as well as converting Mafileo Kefu's try, to dump the Irish side out of the European tournament and book a spot in the final.

The French team struggled to take advantage of their territorial domination in the first half, then were forced to withstand intense pressure from the hosts in a nail-biting second session.

But despite landing four penalties courtesy of fly-half Ian Keatley, Connacht could not overcome their French visitors, who will take on the winner of Saturday's semi-final between London Wasps and Cardiff Blues in the decider next month.

Early lead

Connacht took an early lead at the Sportsground, with Keatley kicking a straightforward penalty after Juan Fernandez Lobbe was caught offside.

Wilkinson replied for the visitors with his first three-pointer in the 10th minute, then followed it up with another nine minutes later.

A Toulon infringement from the restart saw Keatley equalise at 6-6, but astonishingly it was not until the 23rd minute that Connacht broke into French territory with the ball in possession.

After English centre Tom May and Wilkinson missed a drop-goal apiece, the latter finally sent over a long-range effort before posting his third penalty shortly after.

But Connacht received another blocking infringement at the restart, much to the frustration of the visitors, and Keatley hit his target with his third penalty.

Toulon finally cracked the hosts' resistance deep into injury time as Australian scrum-half Matt Henjak fed centre Kefu to touch down under the posts, while a Wilkinson conversion ensured a 19-9 lead at the break.

Fighting

Connacht came back fighting after the restart, with Keatley claiming a fourth penalty early in the second half.

Wilkinson was withdrawn through injury with the final quarter left to play but Henjak helped keep up Toulon's momentum, producing a superb try-saving tackle as the Irish turned up the heat.

The visitors then survived a couple of scares in a tense finale to hold on to their lead and seal their place in the final.