Toulon beat Irish to reach Challenge Cup last four despite Arundell wonder try

PARIS: Teenager Henry Arundell scored a length of the pitch try but it was in vain as London Irish lost 19-18 to Toulon in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

The French club will welcome three-time Champions Cup winners Saracens next weekend after they hammered Gloucester 44-15 on Friday.

In heavy rain on the French south-coast, the Exiles raced into a 10-0 lead after 10 minutes as Fiji loose forward Albert Tuisue crossed and Paddy Jackson added the conversion and a penalty.

Tempers flared with five minutes of the half remaining and France scrum-half Baptise Serin as well as the English club’s veteran Argentina hooker Agustin Creevy were sin binned.

Louis Carbonel then slotted two penalties to bring the score to 10-6 at the break.

The three-time Champions Cup winners then took hold of the tie as Carbonel slotted another penalty before Les Bleus back-rower Charles Ollivon dived over to make it 16-10 with 13 minutes left.

Carbonel and Jackson exchanged shots at goal to make it 19-13 ahead of Arundell’s sublime effort.

The London Irish academy product was given the ball on his own line and the 19-year-old slalomed his way past five defenders to slide over in the greasy conditions.

It left former Ireland fly-half Jackson with a chance to put his side into the lead with five minutes left but he missed the conversion.

On Saturday, No.8 Alfie Barbeary scored with three minutes remaining as Wasps beat Edinburgh 34-30 to set up a tie against Lyon.

The French club overturned a 27-13 deficit with three tries to beat Glasgow Warriors 35-27.