TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 24 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 22
PETER BIRD, Stade Michel Bendichou, Colomiers, Saturday
TOULOUSE got back to winning ways against a resolute Featherstone side who had chances to take the points.
“We are disappointed but gave this game away,” complained Rovers head coach Paul Cooke after Benjamin Laguerre’s late try and Jake Shorrocks’ conversion saw them pipped.
The game was a tense affair from start to finish as both teams cancelled each other out.
Toulouse started the brighter and caught Featherstone out in the fourth minute with ex-Fev favourite Thomas Lacans feeding the fast-running Olly Ashall-Bott 30 metres out and free to score close to the posts, where Shorrocks added the two points.
The lead only lasted six minutes as fullback Caleb Aekins broke through to score left of the posts from a well-weighted pass from second-rower Clay Webb and Ben Reynolds levelled the scores.
With nothing between the teams, unsurprisingly Shorrocks elected to kick penalty points when offered on 18 minutes.
Four minutes later, the French stretched the lead to six as captain-for-the-day Paul Marcon found space from a perfect Ashall-Bott pass in the right corner.
Just before the half-hour there was more drama as Rovers halfback Reynolds spotted the fast-running winger Gareth Gale in space to his right to collect and sprint, hugging the touchline as he ran in from 30 metres with Ashall-Bott and Laguerre watching on.
Reynolds kicked well to level again but with the interval approaching, Toulouse found more space on the right with a blistering Marcon break too hot for Rovers to catch and the fast-overlapping Laguerre in great shape to sprint 25 metres to the right of the posts.
Shorrocks’ conversion gave his team an 18-12 half-time lead.
Featherstone looked the more confident after the break and it was no surprise when they retained parity on 52 minutes with busy winger Derrell Olpherts dived in the left corner from a piercing Ryan Hampshire bullet. Reynolds crucially just missed the conversion.
The two-point deficit was overturned on the hour mark as Laguerre failed to collect a Reynolds high ball to the left corner, with centre James Glover alert enough to pick up and cross over the try line. Reynolds this time added the extras to give Rovers a four-point advantage.
With the tension mounting, Reynolds elected to kick a 40-metre penalty-goal in front of the posts with 14 minutes remaining. The kick drifted to the left, much to the relief of the hosts.
It proved costly as, shortly afterwards, quick-fire movement from Shorrocks then Paul Ulberg found Laguerre with time to sprint 15 metres, dummy Aekins and fininsh off the move with a four-pointer to the right of the posts.
Shorrocks kicked the match-winning conversion and Toulouse hung on to claim the points, much to the relief of head coach Sylvain Houles.
“I’m pleased for the boys, who showed bags of character in a very tight match between two good sides.”
GAMESTAR: Paul Marcon was captain on the day and led by example in a top all-round display.
GAMEBREAKER: The well-taken try with ten minutes remaining from the lively Benjamin Laguerre.
MATCHFACTS
OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
2 Paul Ulberg
3 Reubenn Rennie
5 Paul Marcon
19 Benjamin Laguerre
25 Thomas Lacans
7 Jake Shorrocks
8 Lambert Belmas
14 Baptiste Rodriguez
17 Rob Butler
4 Mathieu Jussaume
11 Maxime Stefani
16 Joe Bretherton
Subs (all used)
32 Hugo Garrigues
10 James Roumanos
21 Ellis Gillam
28 AJ Wallace
Tries: Ashall-Bott (4), Marcon (22), Laguerre (38, 69)
Goals: Shorrocks 4/5
ROVERS
1 Caleb Aekins
5 Gareth Gale
20 James Hardcastle
29 James Glover
2 Derrell Olpherts
28 Ryan Hampshire
6 Ben Reynolds
16 King Vuniyayawa
9 Will Jubb
10 James Beckett
11 Brad Day
17 Clay Webb
13 Danny Addy
Subs (all used)
8 Gadwin Springer
14 Connor Jones
38 Pat Moran
37 Nathan Wilde
Tries: Aekins (11), Gale (26), Olpherts (52), Glover (59)
Goals: Reynolds 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-0, 8-6, 12-6, 12-12, 18-12; 18-16, 18-22, 24-22
Rugby League and League Express Men of the Match
Olympique: Paul Marcon; Rovers: Ben Reynolds
Penalty count: 4-9
Half-time: 18-12
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 3,257