Doncaster battle for stunning victory over Toulouse Olympique

DONCASTER 10 TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 6
IAN RIGG, Eco-Power Stadium, Saturday

A GREAT defensive effort helped Doncaster earn a stunning victory over heavyweights Toulouse.

Tries from wingers Luke Briscoe and Bureta Faraimo helped to turn around an early deficit as the French side were unable to build on Thomas Lacans’ first try in their colours.

That came in only the sixth minute, when Anthony Marion sent a kick towards the line, it was fumbled at the back by a Dons defender and Lacans reacted quickly to collect the ball and dive over on the right.

Lacans’ halfback partner, Anthony Marion, added the conversion, yet those six points proved all they would muster.

They might have extended the lead with a couple of penalties in the Dons half, but the strong wind played a factor in them not going for two points on either occasion.

Olly Ashall-Bott also had a glorious chance for a try on 28 minutes when he chipped ahead towards the posts, but he couldn’t collect the bounce and Doncaster cleared the line.

Connor Robinson almost created a chance in response on the half-hour, but his kick to the corner was too strong for the attack.

Doncaster did, however, open their account six minutes from the break when Craig Hall somehow got a pass away to Briscoe and he swallow-dived into the right corner.

Although the wind took Robinson’s conversion attempt off target, the scores were levelled in the last minute of the first half when Robinson kicked a penalty from 20 metres after a late tackle on the kicker further back in the field.

Good pressure from the Dons in the opening minutes of the second half further tested the Toulouse defence, but two penalties helped the French side set up in good positions of their own.

Romeo Tropis was held up on 52 minutes and, from the play-the-ball, Marion wasted the chance by running into three defenders.

Dons substitute Issac Misky forced a goal-line drop-out on 66 minutes and from this they took the lead when a good passing move saw Faraimo cross in the left corner off a quick-thinking cut-out ball from fullback Hall.

Robinson could not add the conversion off the touchline, leaving the South Yorkshire side with a four-point lead to defend.

After Misky, sparking some urgency into the attack, was held inches short, Toulouse came back again to press strongly in the closing minutes, but Paul Ulberg couldn’t get in at the corner and was tackled into touch.

GAMESTAR: Craig Hall was steady at the back and provided two try assists.

GAMEBREAKER: The Bureta Faraimo try proved to be the winner.

MATCHFACTS
DONCASTER
1 Craig Hall
5 Luke Briscoe
4 Reece Lyne
3 Brad Hey
2 Bureta Faraimo
24 Watson Boas
7 Connor Robinson
17 Josh Bowden
9 Greg Burns
10 Suaia Matagi
14 Jacob Jones
12 Alex Sutcliffe
13 Loui McConnell
Subs (all used)
11 Sam Smeaton
20 Isaac Misky
8 Brad Knowles
15 Jordan Baldwinson

Tries: Briscoe (36), Faraimo (66)
Goals: Robinson 1/3

OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
19 Benjamin Laguerre
5 Paul Marcon
28 Romeo Tropis
2 Paul Ulberg
25 Thomas Lacans
13 Anthony Marion
10 James Roumanos
14 Baptiste Rodriguez
17 Rob Butler
11 Maxime Stefani
4 Mathieu Jussaume
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
16 Joe Bretherton
8 Lambert Belmas
21 Ellis Gillam
3 Reubenn Rennie