TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 34 OLDHAM 14
PETER BIRD, Stade Ernest Wallon, Saturday
TOULOUSE notched up an eighth consecutive win as they brushed aside a confident Oldham outfit in roasting conditions in south-west France.
Both sides defied the intense heat to provide a spectacle with the French fitness finally making the difference in the last quarter.
“We played well but basic errors cost us the game, then the heat kicked in,” explained Oldham head coach Sean Long.
Toulouse started the better and opened the scoring in the seventh minute with Maxime Stefani sprinting over from short range and Jake Shorrocks kicking the extras.
The game levelled out with half-chances for either side but the visitors looked more likely to score and Oldham deservedly opened their account on 18 minutes with Danny Craven finding winger Mo Agoro in space out wide to dive in the right corner just before fullback Olly Ashall-Bott could intervene. Josh Drinkwater pulled the goal attempt.
With 25 minutes on the clock, Toulouse nudged further ahead after good cross-field movement from stand-off Radean Robinson finding the persistent Ashall-Bott with right winger and leading try-scorer Benjamin Laguerre given too much space to cross over from ten metres.
Five minutes later, an identical move inviolving the same players repeated the action. Both times Shorrocks pulled the touchline kicks, but the brace of tries took the home side into the break with a healthy 14-4 advantage.
Oldham started the second period much the more confident and struck early with the industrious left centre Ben Davies finding the gap on 47 minutes and touching down close to the left corner. Drinkwater again pulled his goal kick.
With only six points between the teams, Oldham piled on the attacks and looked the better team for a quarter of an hour, but Toulouse defended well and errors also helped their cause.
With the visitors starting to show signs of tiring after the effort put in, home nerves were calmed as Ashall-Bott sprinted through down the right to collect a well-placed grubber from hooker-for-the-day Anthony Marion.
Marion himself successfully made the conversion with Shorrocks leaving the field respecting the protocol following a head knock, and two minutes later he further eased the nerves with a good penalty kick.
Oldham kept going and pulled six points back with sub Zane Musgrove sprinting over left of the posts with nine remaining. Davies kicked the two-pointer to give his side some hope.
It didn’t last long though, as Toulouse rattled in two tries in the final three minutes from Ashall-Bott and prop Rob Butler, with two more Marion kicks following.
Post-match, Toulouse head coach Sylvain Houles was delighted with the display.
He said: “This was a real top-four clash with a strong performance in difficult conditions.”
GAMESTAR: Olly Ashall-Bott never stopped running and inspired his side to victory.
GAMEBREAKER: Skipper Anthony Marion’s 69th-minute penalty sealed the points.
MATCHFACTS
OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
2 Paul Ulberg
3 Reubenn Rennie
5 Paul Marcon
19 Benjamin Laguerre
27 Radean Robinson
7 Jake Shorrocks
8 Lambert Belmas
13 Anthony Marion
17 Rob Butler
4 Mathieu Jussaume
11 Maxime Stefani
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
25 Thomas Lacans
10 James Roumanos
21 Ellis Gillam
26 Romeo Tropis
Tries: Stefani (7), Laguerre (27, 30), Ashall-Bott (66, 79), Butler (78)
Goals: Shorrocks 1/3, Marion 4/4
OLDHAM
31 Phenix Laulu-Togagae
5 Mo Agoro
20 Jack Johnson
38 Ben Davies
39 Mathieu Pons
6 Danny Craven
23 Josh Drinkwater
15 Jay Chapelhow
14 Bailey Aldridge
30 George Hirst
37 Ryan Lannon
11 Matty Ashurst
13 Adam Milner
Subs (all used)
40 Éloi Pélissier
19 Ted Chapelhow
41 Zane Musgrove
10 Owen Farnworth
Tries: Agoro (20), Davies (47), Musgrove (74)
Goals: Drinkwater 0/2, Davies 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 10-4, 14-4; 14-8, 20-8, 22-8, 22-14, 28-14, 34-14
Rugby League and League Express Men of the Match
Olympique: Olly Ashall-Bott; Oldham: Ben Davies
Penalty count: 5-5
Half-time: 14-4
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte
Attendance: 2,873