Toulouse Olympique 24 Leeds Rhinos 48

A thoroughly entertaining evening at the Stade Ernest Wallon saw Leeds Rhinos move back to the top of the Betfred Super League table as eight tries secured a 48-24 score against Toulouse Olympique.

Looking for their first win at Toulouse for the first time in Super League, a 30-6 half-time lead for the Rhinos looked to have ended the contest after 40 minutes, but Olympique mustered 24 points in 15 minutes to close the scoreline early in the second half. Leeds did well to weather the storm and got their rewards as crucial scores from Maika Sivo, Chris Hankinson, and Cameron Smith rounded off a high-scoring affair in round 14.

Two changes for Brad Arthur’s side both came in the forward pack as Keenan Palasia and Kallum Watkins were rotated into the starting lineup. Both players came off the bench in the win over Saints last time out but were included from the kick off in southern France, forcing Cooper Jenkins and Cameron Smith to drop down amongst the substitutes. The game also marked the last of Lachie Miller’s three-match suspension as Fergus McCormack looked to crown his positive run in the side with a strong performance against Sylvain Houles’ side.

Knowing Warrington had moved provisionally top of the table 24 hours earlier, the Rhinos wasted no time in getting the game’s first points courtesy of Brodie Croft. Working the ball downfield with ease, led by a half break by Ash Handley, Jake Connor’s last tackle kick was competed for by Harry Newman and Luke Polselli in the air. Fortunately for the away side, the ball came back off the hands of the Toulouse man for Croft to clean up and plant down for his 15^th try of the season.

Olympique responded as Quai-Ward broke a poor Leeds defensive line to set Toulouse up for their first proper attack of the evening, but Connor diffused Lacan’s mid-range bomb and earned a penalty for being tackled in the air. After Croft couldn’t hold onto a flick pass from James McDonnell that would have seen the half back score a second of the night, Toulouse once again were made to regret a missed opportunity to get on level terms. Utilising a Watkins penalty for disrupting the ruck area, Jake Shorrocks floated a pass over the top of the Leeds defence for winger Paul Ulberg, but the pass was too high as the chance went begging.

Thankfully for the travelling support, nerves dissipated as four consecutive tries started to build a strong lead for the Rhinos.

The Ulberg missed chance was quickly punished as a mixture of ill-discipline from Olympique and good runs by Newman and Jarrod O’Connor set Leeds up before Handley and Connor connected to put Sivo over for his ninth try in seven games as the winger strolled in untouched. Minutes later, Croft turned from try scorer to try assister as he produced a brilliant pass across the face of Toulouse’s defence to send Newman away. With Rouge and Laguerre to beat and McDonnell in support, the centre drove for the line himself and managed to force the ball on the ground for a third score of the game. Connor’s conversion made the score 18-0 after 21 minutes.

The tries kept coming with half-time in sight for the away side as McCormack opened his senior account on the half-hour mark. A crucial captain’s challenge after Connor charged down Shorrocks’ last tackle kick was given the way of the Rhinos as the half back overturned the decision that he had knocked the ball on. Once again closing in on the try line, Leeds’ last tackle kick was lost in the air by Rouge, and McCormack was ready to swoop into action and force the ball down.

A significant stoppage halted proceedings as a poor tackle from Henry O’Kane on Presley Cassell left the Toulouse player requiring attention, but when the action got back underway, the Leeds scoring resumed. Connor’s high kick was well placed next to the uprights, and Newman was there to swipe the ball away from Thomas Lacan and Poselli for the centre to score his second of the game.

In need of a try with the break looming, Toulouse were rewarded for forcing a knock on by Handley close to the try line as they returned the ball for a first score of the game on the half-time whistle. Rouge, who had been peppered with returning kicks for most of the half, had an opportunity to showcase his attacking flair as the stand-in full back broke the tackle of Cassell to race upfield, and Lacans provided support for the half back to touch down for the home side’s first points. Shorrocks added the conversion as the Rhinos’ lead was cut to 24 points at the break.

Coming out for the second 40 minutes, a miraculous comeback saw the home side close the score to six points against the odds. Lacans’ kick away was allowed to bounce up in front of McCormack, and Leeds’ full back’s hesitance was made to pay as AJ Wallace raced up to strip him of the ball. Shifting to the left, Rouge’s pass over the top found Laguerre, whose grubber kick back inside found the hands of Polselli for the Italian international to score.

Off the back of a knock on by McDonnell as Leeds tried to respond, Ryan Hall’s intervention to stop a set scrum play by Toulouse foreboded what was to come as the second scrum saw Lacans find a gap to break through. Leeds’ defence was struggling to retreat to stop the attack as Laguerre was handed the ball to progress further, before he returned the favour for Lacans to finish the play he started.

Pressure remained on the away side as an uncharacteristic knock on by McCormack invited Toulouse to attack again, and another scrum play unlocked the Rhinos’ defence. Hands spun the ball over the head of Lacans to find Polselli, and with a two vs one, the centre timed his pass right to put his wing partner over in the corner to make the score 30-24 after 55 minutes.

A much-needed Sivo try steadied the Rhinos down as they stretched their advantage to 12 points again. Errors had begun to creep into Toulouse’s attack as a knock on by Ulberg and incorrect play of the ball by Ethan Quai-Ward were inevitably punished as quick hands found Sivo on the wing as he continued a remarkable campaign on the left edge.

A frantic game continued into the closing stages as Ulberg’s break through the heart of Leeds’ defence was quickly shut down by McCormack as the full back made a decisive tackle. The defensive effort kick-started Leeds’ attack back into life, as two final tries finally killed off a Toulouse comeback. Hankinson was also the quickest to react after a kick was allowed to bounce by Toulouse as he intervened to land on the ball and score his third try in as many games to all but confirm a Leeds win. Minutes later, another clinical attacking was crowned by a score for Cameron Smith as the forward was on the end of quick passes from Danny Levi and Cooper Jenkins to crash over. Connor’s boot continued to find the target as the ball sailed through the posts to confirm the 48-24 result.

The win sets up a huge game next Thursday night as the Rhinos return to the UK to take on Warrington Wolves in a top-of-the-league clash at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Teams

Olympique

29. Cesar Rouge, 2. Paul Ulberg, 39. Ethan Quai-Ward, 25. Luke Polselli 5. Benjamin Laguerre, 6. Thomas Lacans, 7. Jake Shorrocks, 10. James Roumanos, 9. Brendan Hands, 17. Rob Butler, 22. Henry O’Kane, 12. Mathieu Jussaume, 15. Joe Cator

Subs: 13. Anthony Marion (C), 20. AJ Wallace, 30. Tiaki Chan, 40. John Toleafoa (18^th Man: 21. Ellis Gillam)

Tries: Lacan (39, 47), Poleselli (41), Laguerre (53)

Goals: Shorrocks 4/4

Rhinos

28. Fergus McCormack, 2. Maika Sivo, 4. Ash Handley (C), 3. Harry Newman, 5. Ryan Hall, 6. Brodie Croft, 7. Jake Connor, 8. Mikolaj Oledzki, 9. Jarrod O’Connor, 13. Keenan Palasia, 14. Chris Hankinson, 12. James McDonnell, 11. Kallum Watkins

Subs: 23. Danny Levi, 15. Cooper Jenkins, 17. Cameron Smith, 20. Presley Cassell (18th Man – 26. Tom Nicholson-Watton)

Tries: Croft (2), Sivo (17, 61), Newman (21, 33), McCormack (29), Hankinson (73), Smith (76)

Goals: Connor 8/8