Noves hails ´great performance´

Toulouse coach Guy Noves praised his team after they booked their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a 21-11 win over Saracens. Jean-Marc Doussain converted seven penalties to give the French side, who are top of Pool 3, the convincing win. Noves was delighted his team stepped up against a strong side, labelling their display on Sunday a 'great' one. "It was a great performance. It was a big game played at a very high level and physically tough from start to finish. It was a challenge which the players took on and they succeeded," he said. "We've played the Saracens, they aren't just an ordinary team. They are the Saracens, the league leaders in England and a very good team. This is a team that has scored 30 points last time out. They also scored 40 points in Leicester so they have been doing well. "That's the kind of opponent we managed to beat today." Saracens' Alex Goode bemoaned his team's below-par performance and praised Toulouse for their defence. "Toulouse played very well today, they were very structured and defended very well," the 25-year-old said. "They slowed our ball down a lot and it made it very difficult for us to get on the front foot and get any attacking game at all really. "They took their chances, they kicked very well and they played well and we didn't play at our best."