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Betfred Super League
St. Helens (0) 0
Toulouse (20) 46
Try: Jussaume 3, O’Kane, Chan, Ulberg, Tropis, Laguerre Aim: Shorrocks 7
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St Helens fell out of the top six of the Super League with a shock defeat at home to Buoyant Toulouse.
Paul Rowley’s side paid a heavy price for last week’s heavy defeat to rivals Wigan Warriors, with five of their six forwards missing through injury in that game. Academy products Matty Evans and Chris Matagi were given senior debuts.
Toulouse went into the game 60 points behind the Catalan Dragons in the French derby. They showed it was no one-off display, producing a scintillating eight-try performance that led to cheers from the fans at Brewdog Stadium at the final hooter.
Mathieu Zusaume led the way with a hat-trick, but it was full-back Ollie Ashall-Bott who really caught the eye with a masterclass, scoring five tries.
Last week’s win over the Catalans ended a run of three straight defeats, but two consecutive wins have lifted Toulouse four places to ninth and they now look like a strong outfit, becoming the first team to blank Saints on their home turf in the Super League era.
The Saints were in disarray from the outset, their poor pack struggling to contain the vigorous French outfit and the dancing feet and sharp hands of Ashall-Bot, as they added to their woes with one needless error after another.
The first came when they dropped the ball inside their own 20 and Jusoum took advantage to open the scoring, and he added the second after Ashal-Bott made a late break.
Jake Shorrocks converted both and added a penalty, and Saints looked on, showing their frustration as Daniel Suluka-Fifita was put on the report for an off-the-ball shoulder barge on Brendan Hand.
The Sharks took advantage of further indiscipline by kicking another penalty, and when Ashall-Bott’s tricky kick took a nasty bounce to Wayne Dagnall, Henry O’Kane made it 20-points at half-time.
The Saints tried to respond in the heat, but Toulouse defended brilliantly and then struck again, Ashall-Bot spinning through a gap and then sending over Wigan loanee Tiaki Chan for a try that really rubbed salt in the Saints’ wounds.
A knee injury from Wayne Dagnall spelled misery for Rowley’s side, and when three Saints defenders saw Shorrocks’ high kick bounce, Toulouse struck again, Ashall-Bott’s slick pass giving winger Paul Wolburg an easy finish.
The visitors were hungry for more as the Saints gave up, Chan taking down the blindside to send Romeo Tropes over for another, before more Ashal-Bot freed Magic Jusoum for his third and Benjamin Leguerre added an eighth try late on.
The margin of defeat means Saints drop to seventh below Leigh Leopards.
St Helens: Welsby; Dagnall, Robertson, Macdonald, Douglas; Sailors, Hastings; Host, Burns, Suluka-Fifita, Cartwright, Davies, Shorrocks
exchange: Sironen, Humphreys, Evans, Matagi
Toulouse: Ashal-Bot; Laguerre, Polselli, Tropis, Ulberg; Lacans, Shorrocks; Roumanos, Hand, Butler, O’Kane, Jussaume, Cator.
exchange: Marion, Chan, Tollefoa, Grosemi.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
