Toulouse hold off York to continue fine run

Betfred Super League

Toulouse Olympique (28) 30

Tries: Shorrocks, Polselli, Ashall-Bott, Ulberg, O'Kane Goals: Shorrocks 5

York Knights (0) 22

Tries: Field, Wood, Williams, Inman Goals: Bennison 3

Toulouse Olympique survived a second-half York Knights fightback to continue their stunning surge in form with a 30-22 win at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

After racking up a combined 106 points in their previous two big wins, having followed up a 60-18 thrashing of fellow French side Catalans Dragons by upstaging St Helens 46-0 in England's North West just a week ago, Toulouse looked as if they were heading for a hat-trick of thumping victories at half-time.

Jake Shorrocks, Luke Polselli, Olly Ashall-Bott, Paul Ulberg and Henry O'Kane grabbed first-half tries to put the hosts 28-0 up against a bamboozled York side at the break.

Three quickfire York tries from Oli Field, Sam Wood and Nikau Williams early in the second half transformed the game, with Toulouse made to work hard to secure the win after that.

A Shorrocks penalty helped settle the hosts after the barrage, but Tom Inman's late score made it a tense finish.

York were made to rue their first-half showing in Toulouse, with the determined showing after the break not enough to extend their fine run, which had seen them string together three successive wins against Hull FC, Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers.

Shorrocks was quick to showcase why he was handed a new two-year deal with Toulouse during the week, as he put the opening eight points on the board for the hosts.

A barnstorming run and well-timed pass on the inside from Ethan Quai-Ward sent Shorrocks over for the opening try just two minutes after the half-back landed the game's first points with a penalty.

The irrepressible Toulouse attack that neither St Helens, nor Catalans Dragons could deal with in recent weeks, was at its scintillating best when Polselli finished a well-worked move that hinged on Ashall-Bott popping the crucial last pass up for the centre as he was being dragged to the ground.

The attacking brilliance did not stop there, with Ashall-Bott darting over for a third try before Ulberg got on the end of a flashy one-handed flick pass from Quai-Ward to dive over in the corner.

Paul McShane's failure to deal with a grubber kick from Anthony Marion allowed O'Kane to pounce for the fifth try of a one-sided first half that finished with Jon Bennison being denied a York response by a try-saving tackle from Ashall-Bott.

York stormed their way back into the contest with three tries in nine minutes early in the second half, with Field first dotting down and Wood barging his way over three defenders for the Knights' second before Williams zipped in on the left edge.

Toulouse were limited at the other end for much of the second half, but two points from the boot of Shorrocks crucially helped ease the nerves – although Inman's converted try with three minutes left made for a frantic finish.

Toulouse Olympique head coach Sylvain Houles told Sky Sports:

"We are really happy to get the two points, and at the end of the day we had only won one game at home so it was important to our fans to get that win.

"Also looking at the ladder, it was an important game so we are really pleased with it.

"Whenever we play York it is a tough game, we played each other a lot in the Championship, so we knew in the second half they would come out very strong – which they did.

"We made too many mistakes in the second half and gave them some field positions and opportunities and they took them. But three wins in a row is a first for us in Super League, so there are a lot of good things for us."

York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth told BBC Radio York:

"First, congratulations to Toulouse – I thought they were excellent in that first half and really capitalised on our mistakes and played very well.

"But that second half definitely made it a tale of two halves. But ultimately we left ourselves with far too much to do.

"Dissecting it straight after the game, I need to look at my own messaging first and foremost and make sure I set the tone right going out of the sheds. I just thought that first half it wasn't even a skill thing, it was the behaviours that we wanted to be known for. We lacked a bit of intent, we lacked connection, I don't think we were showing up for each other.

"I'm definitely disappointed with that, but also really proud of how we responded at half-time and that was more like us in the second half."

Toulouse Olympique: Ashall-Bott, Laguerre, Polselli, Quai-Ward, Ulberg, Lacans, Shorrocks, Roumanos, Marion, Butler, O'Kane, Jussaume, Cator.

Interchanges: Rodriguez, Chan, Toleafoa, Grossemy.

York Knights: Mata'afa, Bennison, Galeano, Williams, Nofoaluma, Hunter, McShane, Martin, Inman, Va'a, Wood, Field, Thompson.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Vaughan, Dee, Hingano.

Referee: Chris Kendall.