Wasps stung by Walder’s penalty miss
TOULOUSE (18) vs WASPS (16)
WASPS head coach Tony Hanks refused to be downhearted after coming within a missed Dave Walder penalty of clinching a shock win over Heineken Cup holders Toulouse.
The Premiership side matched their French opponents all the way in a nip and tuck contest, only to be undone in the end by the boot of David Skrela.
His accuracy with six penalties ensured Toulouse reclaimed the lead even after David Lemi’s try put Wasps 16-15 up with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.
Walder, who scored with four kicks, could still have had the last word, and started the visitors’ European campaign in the best possible fashion, but drifted his penalty wide in the dying stages.
“There’s real disappointment in our changing room. We came here to win and didn’t just come here to make up the numbers,” said Hanks.
“It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. There was enough belief within our side and we prepared well.
“But I’m really proud of the players. What we need to make sure of is that people aren’t just talking about what we did in round one. We have to kick on next week because we still want to qualify from this pool.”