LEIGH LEOPARDS 21 TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 20
DAVE PARKINSON, Progress With Unity Stadium, Saturday

GARETH O’BRIEN was once again the toast of an extra-time situation, striking the all-important field-goal to secure Leigh’s second Super League win of the season.

That came after Toulouse fought back from 20-0 down shortly before half-time to force the game beyond 80 minutes in a thriller.

The Leopards fired over for the first try after just two minutes when Adam Cook and O’Brien combined on the right and O’Brien’s cut-out pass found Josh Charnley.

The hosts continued to flood forward and dazzling footwork from Lachlan Lam took him almost 30 metres. Soon after that they were on the scoreboard again when talismanic Lam fired play left and Tesi Nui’s quick hands released Innes Senior to the corner.

Cook missed both goals but it didn’t look like it would matter with Leigh so dominant. Further crisp handling brought a third try four minutes later as Lam and O’Brien linked for Charnley to dive in for his second score, and Cook this time split the posts for a 14-0 advantage.

Olympique struggled with the physicality of the Leopards in the opening quarter and reacted with a double substitution, bringing former Leigh pair Joe Cator and Rob Butler into action.

Toulouse got their first attacking set in the 25th minute and won a set restart before Lam and Tesi Niu combined to put Reubenn Rennie over the touchline, five metres short of the Leigh line.

A high kick from César Rougé was contested by Roméo Tropis but Matt Davis dropped on a loose pass and Leigh went straight down the other end with a good run from O’Brien and a kick from Lam before pinning the visitors inside their own half.

The next Leigh try wasn’t long in coming with Lam dashing upfield and moving the ball quickly to the supporting Liam Horne to go under the posts. Cook added his second goal and it was 20-0.

Toulouse kept plugging away and forced a drop-out when Charnley was forced to shuffle a deflected Rougé kick over the dead-ball line, and the visitors scored from the possession when they moved the ball left and Olly Ashall-Bott found centre Tropis who produced a good finish in the 37th minute.

Jake Shorrocks goaled from the touchline to narrow the deficit to 20-6 at half-time.

Leigh had a penalty try turned down by the video referee in the 43rd minute and Toulouse fashioned a second try six minutes later to put them in the contest when Ashall-Bott’s wide pass saw Benjamin Laguerre cross on the left and Shorrocks goaled.

Ryan Brown was then sinbinned for contact on Ashall-Bott, delaying a restart after he and Cator came together.

Toulouse jumped on the back of a run from their energetic fullback, working the ball to Laguerre for the winger to add a second finish while Shorrocks’ third goal closed the gap to 20-18.

Brendan Hands spilled a forward pass after Rougé broke, but belief was running through the Toulouse team.

Hands thought he had a try after 65 minutes but the decision was referred upstairs and the hooker was ruled offside by video referee Tom Grant.

Into the last ten minutes, Toulouse frittered away an opportunity close to the Leigh line, and when the Leopards received a penalty to help them get away from trouble it should have been over.

But Toulouse went to the final whistle when Hands was tackled late by Robbie Mulhern, and Shorrocks sent the game into extra time with a cool kick from 40 metres out.

Strong running gave Leigh the advantage in extra time and while O’Brien’s first field-goal attempt was charged down, he landed his second effort to send the home fans into raptures.

GAMESTAR: Lachlan Lam sprinkled his fairy dust across this one, guiding Leigh through some crucial moments.

GAMEBREAKER: Gareth O’Brien’s golden-point field-goal.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Benjamin Laguerre sailing over for his second try.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Lachlan Lam (Leigh)
2 pts Olly Ashall-Bott (Toulouse)
1 pt Gareth O’Brien (Leigh)

MATCHFACTS

LEOPARDS
21 Gareth O’Brien
19 Innes Senior
3 Tesi Niu
22 Jack Hughes
5 Josh Charnley
6 Adam Cook
7 Lachlan Lam
14 Aaron Pene
24 Ben McNamara
10 Robbie Mulhern
11 Frankie Halton
15 Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
16 Matt Davis
17 Liam Horne
25 Louis Brogan
28 Ryan Brown
18th man (not used)
29 Will Brough
Also in 20-man squad
8 Joe Ofahengaue
12 Owen Trout

Tries: Charnley (2, 19), Senior (15), Horne (31)
Goals: Cook 2/4
Field-goals: O’Brien (84)
Sin bin: Brown (56) – delaying the restart

OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
5 Benjamin Laguerre
19 Roméo Tropis
3 Reubenn Rennie
25 Luke Polselli
29 César Rougé
7 Jake Shorrocks
8 Lambert Belmas
9 Brendan Hands
23 Tyler Dupree
12 Mathieu Jussaume
11 Maxime Stefani
13 Anthony Marion
Subs (all used)
15 Joe Cator
17 Rob Butler
20 AJ Wallace
21 Ellis Gillam
18th man (not used)
27 Hugo Garrigues
Also in 21-man squad
6 Thomas Lacans
10 James Roumanos
18 Baptiste Rodriguez

Tries: Tropis (37), Laguerre (49, 57)
Goals: Shorrocks 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 14-0, 20-0, 20-6; 20-12, 20-18, 20-20; 21-20

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Lachlan Lam; Olympique: Olly Ashall-Bott

Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 20-6
Referee: Aaron Moore
Attendance: 7,834