Toulouse were crowned French champions for the 19th time after battling to a hard-fought, tryless 18-12 victory over Toulon in the Top 14 final at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday.

Guy Noves’ team dominated the battle up front and fairly destroyed the Toulon scrum, but while Luke McAlister was unerring with his trusty right boot, unforced errors made the game much closer than it should have been.

Jonny Wilkinson notched up four penalties for Toulon, for whom flankers Steffon Armitage and Joe van Niekerk were instrumental in providing an upper hand in the loose.

Toulouse were forced into making three late changes after prop Jean-Baptiste Poux, winger Yves Donguy and replacement lock Romain Millo-Chluski were all ruled out through injury.

McAlister took Lionel Beauxis’ place at fly-half to allow Yann David in at centre, with Timoci Matanavou replacing Donguy, and ex-Springbok Gurthro Steenkamp coming into the front row – and playing a massive game.

Wilkinson opened the scoring in the first minute after a ruck infringement, but a senseless foul by England veteran Simon Shaw from the re-start allowed McAlister to level the scores.

McAlister narrowly missed a snatched 19th-minute drop goal but put Toulouse into the lead a couple of minutes later after the Toulon pack had popped at the scrum.

The ferocity of the hits in defence and the breakdown began to tell and Wilkinson banged over two penalties either side of the half-hour mark to hand Toulon a 9-6 lead.

The scores were level at halftime, but Wilkinson hit his fourth penalty after an accidental offside by Yoann Maestri.

Tempers flared and hookers William Servat and Sebastian Bruno went toe-to-toe only to be both yellow carded by referee Romain Poite.

Wilkinson missed a second drop-goal attempt in the melee.

The 33-year-old fly-half, whose drop-goal clinched England’s 2003 World Cup final win against Australia, missed a 50-metre penalty after Maestri strayed offside at a lineout, shortly followed by teammate Benjamin Lapeyre.

Toulon winger David Smith failed to gather a pass with a try-scoring three on two situation on the cards and a series of pick and goes on the Toulouse line produced nothing to dash Toulon’s hopes of a fourth title, the last having come in 1992.