Leaders Halifax Panthers fall to heavy defeat at Toulouse Olympique

TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 32 HALIFAX PANTHERS 0
PETER BIRD, Stade Ernest Wallon, Saturday

HALIFAX PANTHERS slipped to only their second league defeat of the season in emphatic fashion.

They were well beaten on the day by an enthusiastic Toulouse outfit who outplayed their West Yorkshire opponents in every department on a warm spring day in the south of France.

Panthers coach Kyle Eastmond summed it up well, saying: “They are a very good side and deserved the win, no excuses.”

Conditions were perfect and it was the hosts who made the most of the early plays with Olly Ashall-Bott running on to a Thomas Lacans grubber under the posts in the sixth minute as the Halifax defenders looked on.

Five minutes later a tricky high ball on the last from Panthers’ Tom Inman was knocked-on by his own player, which seemed to set the tone for the visitors for most of the game.

Toulouse picked up a cheap penalty in front of the posts on 14 minutes which was gratefully snapped up by Shorrocks, adding to his early conversion.

Seventeen minutes on the clock and with total home domination, Avignon-born Fax fullback Louis Jouffret fumbled a high Thomas Lacans kick with prop Maxime Stefani well placed to pick up and carry the ball over the line close to the posts. Shorrocks again added the two points.

Halifax were getting frustrated as they were unable to break down the French defence. Jacob Fairbank was placed on report just before the end of the first quarter for a heavy tackle on Ashall-Bott, although curiously no penalty was given.

Just after, Panthers’ Tom Whitehead gave away another cheap penalty with Shorrocks collecting two more points.

On 27 minutes, a superb 40/20 from Shorrocks gave Toulouse good field advantage with captain Anthony Marion combing well on the left side with quick hands from Ashall-Bott finding winger Paul Ulberg in space to score in the corner.

Fairbank was sin-binned just before the break for a late tackle as the league leaders went in 20-0 down.

And it was more of the same at the start of the second period as left centre Reubenn Rennie made sure of the game three minutes in after Stefani became supplier and Shorrocks continued his excellent kicking.

Halifax looked more lively as the game went on but lacked the all-important final pass. Too many errors and indiscipline cost them dearly.

On 55 minutes Toulouse scored the last – and best – try of the game as Paul Marcon and Benjamin Laguerre produced quick interplay and Ashall-Bott picked up an inside reverse ball ten metres out with the Fax defence looking on.

Shorrocks completed the scoring for the afternoon as the final quarter became scrappy with the visitors happy to hear the final hooter.

Not surprisingly, Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles was a happy man: “We looked solid all over the park, committed and aggressive. The nil score was a bonus.”

GAMESTAR: Fullback Olly Ashall-Bott caused problems all game.

GAMEBREAKER: Reubenn Rennie’s try at the start of the second half sealed the result.

MATCHFACTS
OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
2 Paul Ulberg
3 Reubenn Rennie
5 Paul Marcon
19 Benjamin Laguerre
25 Thomas Lacans
7 Jake Shorrocks
8 Lambert Belmas
13 Anthony Marion
17 Rob Butler
4 Mathieu Jussaume
11 Maxime Stefani
15 Joe Cator
Subs (all used)
14 Baptiste Rodriguez
10 James Roumanos
20 Greg Richards
16 Joe Bretherton

Tries: Ashall-Bott (6, 55), Stefani (17), Ulberg (27), Rennie (43)
Goals: Shorrocks 6/7

PANTHERS
1 Louis Jouffret
2 Ben Tibbs
3 Charlie Graham
20 Brad Graham
5 James Saltonstall
6 James Woodburn-Hall
14 Tom Inman
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Adam O’Brien
11 Owen McCarron
19 Zack McComb
12 Adam Tangata
32 Tom Whitehead
Subs (all used)
7 Jack Hansen
13 Jacob Fairbank
15 Connor Davies
17 Will Calcott