The Wales full-back kicked 14 points in RC Toulon’s record-breaking Champions Cup triumph over ASM Clermont Auvergne at Twickenham on Saturday. Halfpenny completed the full set of continental medals as he added top-tier glory to the Challenge Cup medal he won with the Cardiff Blues in 2010.
Halfpenny followed in the footsteps of Tony Rees (Brive, 1997), Ieuan Evans, Richard Webster, Nathan Thomas (Bath, 1998), Allan Bateman, Andy Newman (Northampton Saints, 2000), Rob Howley (Wasps, 2004), Gareth Thomas (Toulouse, 2005) and Gethin Jenkins (Toulon, 2013) in picking up a European Cup winners medal. Howley and Jenkins are the only others to have won the Challenge Cup as well.
“This is what it is all about, these are the games you want to be involved in as a player – what a performance by the boys and what a feeling,” said Halfpenny after steering Toulon to their 24-18 victory.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a long time and it’s up there with the best moments in my career. This was a goal to retain our title and create history by winning the European title three times in a row.
“To be fair to Clermont they threw everything at us and the character they showed right at the end was just incredible. I could have made it a bit easier for us by kicking the conversion after Drew Mitchell’s outstanding try, but our work rate was fantastic and showed what it means to us.
“I’m happy to have played my part and I will remember this day for the rest of my life.”
It was Clermont’s second defeat in three years in the final by Toulon. They went into an early 11-3 lead thanks to a try by Wesley Fofana, but couldn’t hold on.
“It was our mistakes that let them back in – they didn’t beat us as such, we let them in the door. But they’re a team of winners who have come from all parts and they’ve all won whatever competitions they’ve been a part of,” said a philosophical Davies.
“To win two European championships before and now their third, it shows they’re a quality team and you can’t give them easy opportunities like that.”
