Twickenham will stage a thunderous collision between two French juggernauts in 13 days ’ time , although Toulon ’ s crusade to win an unprecedented third successive European title nearly stalled at Stade Velodrome on Sunday . On this faltering , unconvincing evidence , the holders of the last Heineken Cup face a mammoth task if they are to stop Clermont Auvergne from claiming the inaugural Champions Cup . Bernard Laporte ’ s stellar side didn ’ t come to life until this dismal encounter went into extra-time and they were only galvanised once they had been reduced to 14 men , when Ali Williams was sin-binned for taking out Devin Toner in the air . Toulon winger Bryan Habana races away for a decisive try in extra-time against Leinster . Habana intercepted Ian Madigan 's long pass to race away unopposed at Stade Velodrome . Leinster full back Rob Kearney beats Toulon flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe to a high ball in the first-half . Instead of being undermined by the loss of the ex-All Blacks lock , Toulon scored the crucial points while he was off the field . Their victory was founded on the composed goal-kicking of their Welsh Lion at full-back , Leigh Halfpenny , who finished with 20 points from six penalties and a conversion . Leinster attempted to capitalise on their numerical advantage and it backfired in the 90th minute as Ian Madigan ’ s long pass was intercepted by Bryan Habana and the Springbok wing stormed clear to for the game ’ s only try . That the one fleeting flicker of creativity stemmed from an error was fitting . The Irish province wouldn ’ t go quietly and when Sean O ’ Brien went over from a close-range lineout drive , they were back in the hunt with five minutes remaining , but it wasn ’ t to be . So , the climax of the new continental tournament will have a familiar feel . Toulon vs Clermont is an all-French repeat of the 2013 Heineken Cup Final in Dublin , which the Cote d ’ Azur club won despite being dominated by Clermont for much of the game . Last year , they gave Jonny Wilkinson the perfect career sign-off with another triumph in Cardiff – where Saracens were dispatched – and now they are closing in on a hat-trick . But there was no swagger about them on Sunday , or any sustained power surges for that matter . It was unusually wet by the Mediterranean and the conditions made handling difficult , but that didn ’ t account for the sheer deluge of fumbles made by both sides . As a showcase of Europe ’ s elite event , this stop-start contest left much to be desired . For all the effort and commitment , there was no fluency or cohesion , no rhythm or flow . The teams simply took it in turns to launch a raid and either spill the ball or concede a turnover . Leinster centre Madigan fires over one of his five successful penalties against Toulon . English referee Wayne Barnes became the pantomime villain of the home supporters for repeatedly penalising their idols , but he had every right to on several occasions , particularly when Xavier Chiocci , the Toulon loosehead prop , was being dismantled by Ireland tighthead Mike Ross in the scrum . As an occasion , this was several notches below the blood-and-thunder epic between Clermont and Saracens in St Etienne 24 hours earlier . Clermont ’ s ‘ Yellow Army ’ – or ‘ Jaunards ’ – created a raucous , partisan atmosphere which wasn ’ t matched here by the Toulon hordes . There was a healthy crowd in excess of 35,000 , but that was a long way short of capacity and the noise was often restricted to boos for the officials . Even the Mexican Waves late on were half-hearted . Leinster blindside Jordi Murphy does brilliantly to get up and disrupt a Toulon lineout . Still , it was not all grim . Steffon Armitage made his trademark breakdown impact after coming on as a replacement and Halfpenny ’ s class stood out throughout – not just as a goal-kicker but , crucially , in the way he handled the aerial onslaught with aplomb . The Wales idol had landed four penalties in normal time but saved his best for the end of the first half of extra-time – just before Habana ’ s try – when he struck from halfway , with inches to spare . Afterwards , he reflected on the prospect of a first appearance in Europe ’ s elite final , saying : ‘ It ’ s what I grew up dreaming about . Toulon No 8 Chris Masoe makes a strong run as Leinster scrum half Isaac Boss tries to make the tackle . ‘ I grew up watching European Cup Finals and you work hard day-in , day-out to be involved in big games like that . For me , coming to Toulon with the success they ’ ve achieved and the ambition they have , I wanted to be part of that . I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity. ’ Toulon were fortunate that he took his opportunities on Sunday . It meant that their shortcomings were not critically exposed and they will surely rouse themselves to far greater heights for the final . Their showdown with Clermont will shake Twickenham to its foundations . These twin French giants are the dominant forces of the era - the rest of Europe are chasing their shadows . Toulon full back Leigh Halfpenny makes no mistake from the kicking tee after Leinster infringed .
Ian Madigan kicked five penalties for Leinster . Leigh Halfpenny replied with six three-pointers for Toulon . Toulon lock Bryan Habana was yellow carded during extra-time . Ali Williams raced away for a crucial try shortly afterwards . Leinster flanker Sean O'Brien crossed for a late consolation try .