TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 12 DONCASTER 6
PETER BIRD, Stade Michel Bendichou, Colomiers, Saturday
DONCASTER, looking to do the double over their French counterparts, gave it everything in an evening heatwave after nightmare travel conditions.
The initially-scheduled 6pm local kick-off time was pushed back two hours due to strikes by French air traffic controllers, then a further hour on the day because of a flight delay.
The game was worth the wait as both sides provided top entertainment, with the visitors – who brilliantly won a similarly tight reverse fixture in March – just falling short in a tense affair up to the final hooter.
“This was a real arm wrestle but we couldn’t have given anymore,” explained Dons head coach Richard Horne.
The scoring opened in the sixth minute against the run of play as a threatening Doncaster pass down the right side and about 30 metres out was intercepted by the alert Paul Ulberg, who showed great pace to sprint to the line with hard-working fullback Logan Moy just unable to intervene.
Anthony Marion, scrum-half for the day in a makeshift French outfit, kicked the two easy two-pointer.
Toulouse looked the brighter but Doncaster had half-chances, though they overcomplicated matters with easier attacking options available.
The visitors weathered French attacks with solid defending and deservedly levelled the scores on 18 minutes as good work from Connor Robinson and Jacob Jones found the fast-running second-rower Sam Smeaton on hand to crash through close to the posts. Robinson completed the kick.
Toulouse looked on top and forced penalties close to the posts but elected to play the ball rather than kick the goals. Only six minutes before the break did Marion choose to kick a penalty, nudge 8-6 ahead and ease the pressure up to the half-time interval.
It remained tense in the second half. The French enjoyed more of the ball with frequent threats to the Doncaster line but Horne’s well-disciplined men held out with some dogged defending close to the line.
The visitors had their chances too, but bad handling on the final ball cost them dearly.
The tension mounted with the outcome entirely unpredictable, although Toulouse always looked more likely with strong running from their forwards including prop Rob Butler, who looked majestic with the ball in hand.
The next score would be crucial and it was the hosts who eased the tension a bit with second-rower Maxime Stefani looking fresh as he took a well-timed Radean Robinson inside pass ten metres out to crash over left side with only four minutes remaining.
Marion added to the suspense by hitting the post with the kick to keep it a one-score game, and Pauli Pauli could – and maybe should – have taken advantage and crossed over but fumbled a pass ten metres out with seconds to go.
Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles praised both teams, saying: “They (Doncaster) were excellent but our makeshift bunch did us proud.”
GAMESTAR: Anthony Marion inspired his team in an unfamiliar halfback role.
GAMEBEAKER: Maxime Stefani’s try four minutes from the end.
MATCHFACTS
OLYMPIQUE
19 Benjamin Laguerre
2 Paul Ulberg
3 Reubenn Rennie
4 Mathieu Jussaume
5 Paul Marcon
27 Radean Robinson
13 Anthony Marion
8 Lambert Belmas
14 Baptiste Rodriguez
17 Rob Butler
16 Joe Bretherton
11 Maxime Stefani
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
32 Hugo Garrigues
10 James Roumanos
21 Ellis Gillam
18 Paolo Dall’asta
Tries: Ulberg (6), Stefani (76)
Goals: Marion 2/3
DONCASTER
19 Logan Moy
5 Luke Briscoe
4 Reece Lyne
3 Brad Hey
18 Edene Gebbie
24 Watson Boas
7 Connor Robinson
15 Jordan Baldwinson
9 Greg Burns
10 Suaia Matagi
17 Jacob Jones
11 Sam Smeaton
29 Will Gardiner
Subs (all used)
21 Tyla Hepi
28 Matty Laidlaw
20 Isaac Misky
16 Pauli Pauli
Tries: Smeaton (19)
Goals: Robinson 1/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6–0, 6–6, 8–6; 12-6
Rugby League and League Express Men of the Match
Olympique: Anthony Marion; Doncaster: Logan Moy
Penalty count: 10-7
Half-time: 8-6
Referee: Kevin Moore
Attendance: 2,762