LEEDS RHINOS 46 TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 0
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Friday

LEEDS were professional if not exactly polished in disposing of obdurate Toulouse, who too often were their own worst enemies with mistakes early in the tackle count.

Jake Connor finished with 22 points from two tries and seven goals but it was the Leeds bench who impressed, in particular Tom Holroyd with his powerful running, while the nil conceded was significant.

Versatile veteran Chris Hankinson was back against his former club, while at the other end of the Rhinos age scale, teenager Zak Lloyd was given his debut off the bench. With Alfie Edgell missing, Ned McCormack was recalled and Harry Newman shifted to the wing.

The visitors had a litany of injuries led by the absence of talisman Olly Ashall-Bott and also including James Roumanos, Louis Grossemy, Thomas Lacans, Jake Shorrocks and Brendan Hands, so debutant Victor Collin given a run in the halves and six players were included who hailed from their academy in total.

The sides traded errors in a scrappy start and Leeds opened the scoring after Paul Ulberg’s infield kick was too strong and gave away a seven-tackle set. From it, Lachlan Miller put recalled Riley Lumb away and while Ulberg made a try-saving tackle, on the next play, Miller’s long pass saw Connor split the defence and go over.

Their second try also came after a period of pressure from Toulouse, who were undone by losing the ball cheaply then conceding a set restart, from which Jarrod O’Connor was direct and a no-look pass from Connor sent Mikolaj Oledzki plunging over.

At the end of the next two sets, Olympique knocked on around their own ten but scrambled well, ultimately denying Lumb.

Anthony Marion sparked the Frenchmen and won them a penalty, but Connor picked off Mathieu Jussaume’s pass and from it the Leeds bench made their presence felt, Cameron Smith feeding Presley Cassell and his wonderful, slipped pass putting Holroyd over for his third try in successive games with a minute to the break.

Holroyd continued to menace at the start of the second period, Connor’s high kick forcing a goalline drop-out which didn’t go ten metres. Connor and Brodie Croft then sent in James McDonnell from it to maintain his recent try-scoring run.

After Benjamin Laguerre knocked on 20 metres out from his own line, Holroyd powered over but was heroically held up by Marion.

O’Connor – on his 150th career appearance – and Lumb were turned away but the visiting dam broke on another set restart when Miller and Jack Bird sent Newman in at the corner, where Connor missed his only conversion.

Connor more than made up for that by latching onto Miller’s high kick after Hankinson had broken clear to go over for his second try.

Lloyd came on for his bow on the hour and went close, along with Holroyd and Miller, before Croft scored off a fine Smith pass.

And, after Toulouse had failed to capitalise on a Laguerre break, Connor’s cut-out pass sent in Lumb at the corner for the final try.

GAMESTAR: Tom Holroyd made a fine impact off the bench, scoring one try, having another disallowed and making some fine charges to take his side forward.

GAMEBREAKER: James McDonnell’s try at the start of the second half pushed Leeds out to a margin that ensured the points.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Presley Cassell’s superb late release pass to send Tom Holroyd over for his first try.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Tom Holroyd (Leeds)
2 pts Chris Hankinson (Leeds)
1 pt Anthony Marion (Toulouse)

MATCHFACTS

RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miller
22 Riley Lumb
24 Ned McCormack
33 Jack Bird
3 Harry Newman
6 Brodie Croft
7 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
9 Jarrod O’Connor
15 Cooper Jenkins
12 James McDonnell
14 Chris Hankinson
11 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
10 Tom Holroyd
17 Cameron Smith
20 Presley Cassell
30 Zak Lloyd (D)
18th man (not used)
28 Fergus McCormack
Also in 21-man squad
19 Jeremiah Matautia
21 Alfie Edgell
26 Tom Nicholson-Watton

Tries: Connor (12, 58), Oldezki (21), Holroyd (39), McDonnell (43), Newman (54), Croft (68), Lumb (76)
Goals: Connor 7/8

OLYMPIQUE
25 Luke Polselli
5 Benjamin Laguerre
19 Roméo Tropis
39 Ethan Quai-Ward
2 Paul Ulberg
31 Victor Collin (D)
29 César Rougé
17 Rob Butler
13 Anthony Marion
8 Lambert Belmas
22 Henry O’Kane
12 Mathieu Jussaume
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
20 AJ Wallace
27 Hugo Garrigues
30 Tiaki Chan
40 John Toleafoa
18th man (not used)
18 Baptiste Rodriguez
Also in 21-man squad
4 Paul Marcon
7 Jake Shorrocks
16 Joe Bretherton

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0; 24-0, 28-0, 34-0, 40-0, 46-0

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Tom Holroyd; Olympique: Anthony Marion

Penalty count: 2-6
Half-time: 18-0
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 15,249