Super League – Five minutes too long for Olympic Toulouse
Less than ten minutes from the end, Toulouse led (16-10). With five minutes left, Hull KR went for the win. Hard for Toulouse, who remain in last place.
The matches against Hull follow one another and are similar in terms of results. A week ago at Ernest-Wallon, the Toulousains had been copiously dominated, without reaction against the Airlies Birds. In the end, the defeat (30-6) was more than logical. Thursday evening at Craven Park, the lair of KR, Toulouse was more attractive against Rovers even if at the final whistle, defeat was at the rendezvous for the seventeenth time of the season. And yet less than ten minutes from the final whistle, Toulouse had the favor of the scoreboard (16-10).
For seventy minutes, Toulouse perfectly negotiated the match and mastered the offensive intentions of Rovers in the first period. The latter certainly deflowered the score at the quarter of an hour of play by their captain, Minchella (6-0). Despite this deficit on the scoreboard, Sylvain Houles’ team took the game on their own.
The Albert-Norman hinge set the tone of the debate. In the fight and the challenge Alvaro, Peyroux, Belmas gave the opposing defense a hard time. Before the break, the Toulouse investment was rewarded with a double achievement from Russell and Alvaro (12-6). Seven minutes after the resumption, Latrell Schaumkel reinforced the Toulouse capital a little more (16-6). Until the 72e minute, Toulouse was still in the lead (16-10).
At this point in the game, the Olympians disappeared from the radar screens. Successively, the Irishman from Rovers, Frankie Halton and Rohan Milnes five minutes from time found their way to the in-goal. Hope suddenly gave way to despair for Toulouse won again with honors (16-22). “At the end of the match, the faults followed one another, we put the Rovers back in the direction of travel, pwas Sylvain Houles. In the Super League, fouls were paid in cash on the scoreboard.”
Thursday at Warrington
In view of this fatal final, let’s say that the people of Toulouse are unfortunately used to it. They experienced such a scenario when they received Wigan on March 5 (29-28). In Huddersfield, they lost three minutes from time (17-16). When Castleford received on June 12, they lowered their guard seven minutes from the final whistle (20-14). So many lost points that are currently lacking in the standings.
At the end of this defeat at Rovers, the Toulouse once again ferment the march in the standings and this with five days remaining. Thursday in Warrington, the team of President Sarrazain will once again deliver a crucial meeting for its future in the Super League against an opponent who remains on a bitter defeat against Wigan (32-6). Thursday evening, Toulouse cannot be satisfied with a defeat with honors, the victory must be urgent at the rendezvous.