YORK KNIGHTS 6 TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 7
GAVIN WILSON, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
TOULOUSE kick-started their campaign with a last-gasp victory over improved but underwhelming York in a scrappy encounter played in poor conditions and settled by a Jake Shorrocks field-goal.
Knights coach Mark Applegarth made a number of changes from the team soundly beaten at Oldham, with halfback and captain Liam Harris and wingers Joe Brown and Myles Harrison out through injury.
Jesse Dee moved into the halves, Taylor Pemberton was called onto the bench though ultimately never saw any action, and Jude Ferreira made an encouraging debut after moving from Hunslet.
Olympique coach Sylvain Houles made one change to the side narrowly beaten at home to Widnes, as Dominique Peyroux (damaged Achilles tendon) was replaced by Ellis Gillam on the bench.
The game was one to forget as both sides struggled in the howling wind and driving rain, and it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that the first points were registered.
After declining an easier opportunity ten minutes previously, York fullback Will Dagger kicked a penalty-goal from 30 metres out to the left of the posts after a high tackle on Paul McShane.
It was the only score of the first half as York took that slender 2-0 lead in at the break.
There was further error-strewn rugby after it, but York extended their lead in the 56th minute off the back of a dropped ball by Toulouse.
A nice move from the base of the resulting scrum created just enough space for Levi Edwards to race over and touch down by the left corner flag. Dagger crucially missed the difficult kick.
A terrible two minutes by York afforded Toulouse an opportunity to draw level with twelve minutes remaining.
Back-to-back penalties followed by an error on tackle one gave the French side the ball ten metres out, and a sweet play ended with Benjamin Laguerre scoring despite desperate calls for a knock-on from the home fans. Shorrocks converted.
The game was in danger of petering out until Olly Ashall-Bott made a probing kick behind the York defensive line with 45 seconds remaining. The ball was hacked forward and crucially fumbled by scrambling winger Edwards.
Toulouse packed down quickly enough to earn one last shot, and Shorrocks calmly slotted the winning field-goal from 25 metres out as the hooter sounded.
GAMESTAR: In difficult conditions, Toulouse halfback Jake Shorrocks managed the game well and kept a cool head when it mattered.
GAMEBREAKER: Shorrocks’ 25-metre field-goal as the full-time hooter sounded.
MATCHFACTS
KNIGHTS
1 Will Dagger
3 Kieran Buchanan
29 Jude Ferreira
20 Oli Field
23 Levi Edwards
6 Ata Hingano
11 Jesse Dee
8 Jack Martin
9 Paul McShane
10 Brenden Santi
16 Jacob Gannon
12 Connor Bailey
13 Jordan Thompson
Subs
14 Taylor Pemberton (not used)
15 Jack Teanby
19 Sam Cook
21 Conor Fitzsimmons
Tries: Edwards (56)
Goals: Dagger 1/2
OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
19 Benjamin Laguerre
5 Paul Marcon
3 Reubenn Rennie
2 Paul Ulberg
13 Anthony Marion
7 Jake Shorrocks
10 James Roumanos
9 Calum Gahan
17 Rob Butler
4 Matthieu Jussaume
11 Maxime Stefani
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
14 Baptiste Rodriguez
16 Joe Bretherton
20 Greg Richards
21 Ellis Gillam
Tries: Laguerre (68)
Goals: Shorrocks 1/1
Field-goals: Shorrocks (80)
SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0; 6-0, 6-6, 6-7
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Jordan Thompson; Toulouse: Jake Shorrocks
Penalty count: 5-8
Half-time: 2-0
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas