TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 10 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 26
PETER BIRD, Stade Ernest Wallon, Saturday

HUDDERSFIELD are off the bottom of Super League after extending their recent revival to a fourth straight win with a convincing victory over a lacklustre Toulouse outfit lacking creativity.

The visitors started the brighter, forcing a goalline drop-out in the third minute. After errors from each side, quick thinking by hooker Zac Woolford found Jacob Gagai with winger Sam Halsall in loads of space to score, and George Flanagan made no mistake with the kick.

Four minutes later, the French levelled the scores after a blistering break from halfback Thomas Lacans was finished off from ten metres out by hooker Brendan Hands under the posts.

But there was bad news for the hosts as talisman Jake Shorrocks limped off at the end of the first quarter.

The Giants enjoyed the lion’s share of the play, helped by basic errors from a nervy-looking Toulouse, and it was no surprise when winger Halsall scored his second try in the left corner on 22 minutes after more good work from Gagai and Tui Lolohea.

Huddersfield were back in again thanks to more Toulouse indiscipline five minutes later with veteran Joe Greenwood pushing over from short range under the posts. Flanagan made it three from three with the boot.

Toulouse had their moments but bad discipline continued to give the advantage to their opponents. Five minutes from the break, the men from Yorkshire scored the try of the half with a lightning break from Lolohea finished off clinically by centre Connor Wrench to the right of the posts.

Flanagan missed his only goal attempt of the night but the Giants sat pretty at 22-6 up.

It was much of the same early in the second half as well, with the French escaping a try review three minutes in.

Then Huddersfield prop Tristan Powell received ten minutes in the sin bin for a high tackle, but the hosts couldn’t take advantage of the extra man with the Giants defending well, surviving the ten minutes and even looking the stronger side as Olympique continued the errors.

As the French looked tired and lacking invention, the Giants continued to press, forcing multiple goalline drop-outs.

With 17 minutes remaining the visitors were again reduced to twelve men as Taane Milne, just back from a three-match ban, was shown the yellow.

Toulouse started to show more urgency and threatened the Giants’ line, but solid defence kept them out.

With eleven minutes left Flanagan made sure of the points with another cheaply conceded penalty under the posts.

There was some joy for the French fans as Mathieu Jussaume crashed over with five minutes remaining.

But Anthony Marion just pushed the kick wide, and Flanagan then scored his second penalty-goal in the final minute to confirm an excellent victory for the rejuvenated Giants.

GAMESTAR: Adam Clune terrorised the French for the full 80 minutes with his impressive pace.

GAMEBREAKER: The Connor Wrench try just before the break to confirm the points.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jacob Gagai’s burst of pace to bamboozle the Toulouse defence and set up the final Giants try.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Adam Clune (Huddersfield)
2 pts George Flanagan (Huddersfield)
1 pt Thomas Lacans (Toulouse)

MATCHFACTS

OLYMPIQUE
25 Luke Polselli
5 Benjamin Laguerre
19 Roméo Tropis
12 Mathieu Jussaume
2 Paul Ulberg
6 Thomas Lacans
7 Jake Shorrocks
17 Rob Butler
9 Brendan Hands
10 James Roumanos
22 Henry O’Kane
41 Louis Grossemy
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
8 Lambert Belmas
13 Anthony Marion
30 Tiaki Chan
40 John Toleafoa
18th man (used)
20 AJ Wallace
Also in 21–man squad
11 Maxime Stefani
27 Hugo Garrigues
29 César Rougé

Tries: Hands (11), Jussaume (75)
Goals: Shorrocks 1/1, Marion 0/1

GIANTS
21 George Flanagan
4 Taane Milne
3 Jacob Gagai
34 Connor Wrench
5 Sam Halsall
6 Tui Lolohea
7 Adam Clune
14 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
16 George King
43 Zane Dunford
12 Sam Hewitt
13 Harry Rushden
Subs (all used)
8 Tristan Powell
17 Joe Greenwood
20 Mathieu Cozza
40 Cole Geyer
18th man (not used)
42 Lewis Jagger
Also in 21–man squad
18 Keiran Rush
26 Archie Sykes
45 Oliver Leyland

Tries: Halsall (7, 22), Greenwood (27), Wrench (35)
Goals: Flanagan 5/6
Sin bin: Powell (48) – high tackle, Milne (66) – dangerous play

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18, 6-22; 6-24, 10-24, 10-26

Rugby Leaguer and League Express Men of the Match
Olympique: Thomas Lacans; Giants: Adam Clune

Penalty count: 4-6
Half-time: 6-22
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 3,070