Sunday 5 April 2015 20:41, UK
Dai Young insisted Toulon's Ali Williams was lucky to escape a 'blatant yellow card' before scoring the try that ended Wasps' hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Champions Cup.
Chasing the game, Wasps made a break down the left touchline and All Black Williams could be seen tugging on the jersey of Elliot Daly as he supported Joe Simpson's run.
Wasps were able to score a few minutes later, but Williams' act deserved a yellow card at a crucial time in the match, according to Wasps boss Young.
"There are three people who didn't see it - the referee and the two touch judges," said Young.
"I don't want it to sound like sour grapes because they have probably had a bit too much for us on the day.
"But in saying that we ended up scoring three-and-a-half minutes later. So if we'd had a penalty try then and the yellow card, it would probably have allowed us to really mount a challenge.
"It certainly would have made it interesting. It's frustrating because if you look at their first try, their lineout in the build-up was nowhere near straight.
"Little things go against you but when you've won the European Cup twice you tend to get the 50-50s.
"We were hugely frustrated by that, hugely frustrated by the decision and them still having 15 players on the field when it was a blatant yellow card and a blatant sin-bin."
Wasps came close to toppling the defending champions as they brought themselves to within seven points of Toulon with just six minutes on the clock, but Kiwi Williams was given the ball in space as the game drew to a close and dotted down in the corner, ending a fairytale run for Wasps, who lost their opening two fixtures before going unbeaten into the quarter-finals.
Wasps had only themselves to blame for being all but out of the encounter by half-time, as poor discipline gave fly-half Fred Michalak a chance to open a 22-6 half-time lead.
Young's side did fight bravely back into the match, but were unable to match the firepower of France's defending champions.
Young admits it is difficult to overcome Europe's leading clubs, who regularly make it into the final four.
"The top four teams consistently over the last three or four seasons are up there," said Young.
"But you know you've got to catch them on a day when they are having problems, because there are world-class players across the board. There's no room for error against these top French teams. Their weakest players tend to have only 25 caps as opposed to 45.
"So they have very few weaknesses right across the board and I think when Leigh Halfpenny had his bump on the head and he was ruled out, it left us only five international full-backs to look at really!
"It's certainly a step up when you know what you're coming up against.
"Teams in the Premiership must arrive at these games playing their best team.
"There's no way we can match their squads with the salary cap, and two or three injuries will obviously hurt us a lot more than it will for Racing, Clermont and Toulon."
Toulon, meanwhile, march on to yet another European semi-final as they eye up an encounter against Leinster, but captain Carl Hayman admits they will need to improve for that game.
"It wasn't what we demand of ourselves to be honest," said Hayman.
"But we got through, and that's what counts. We're just happy to come away with a win, any way you can get over the line in this championship, you take it."
