Super League: Toulouse 14-42 Huddersfield Giants - Ian Watson's side rack up seven tries in south of France
- Published
New Huddersfield signing Theo Fages was the only victorious Frenchman on show on Toulouse's opening night of Super League
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Toulouse (10) 14 |
Tries: Russell, Bergal, Armitage Goal: Hankinson |
Huddersfield (16) 42 |
Tries: Yates, I Senior, L Senior, Wardle 2, McQueen, Ashall-Bott Goals: Russell 7 |
Huddersfield overcame a slow start as they began the new Super League season with victory over new boys Toulouse.
The French side scored two tries in the first 10 minutes through Matty Russell and Ilias Bergal to lead 10-0.
But Ian Watson's Giants hit back with seven tries in the south of France.
Jake Wardle, with a brace, skipper Luke Yates, twins Innes and Louis Senior, Chris McQueen and Olly Ashall-Bott all crossed before Guy Armitage got the final score of the night for Toulouse.
It was a dream start for the French as Russell went in at the left corner from a superb offload, before fellow winger Bergal latched onto Tony Gigot's to cross for a quickfire second. The home crowd went berserk and the band played relentlessly.
But, with winter signing Theo Fages on fine form on the Frenchman's Giants debut, it all started to go downhill from the moment that captain Yates got Huddersfield going on 24 minutes.
That was followed by two lovely tries, one in each corner, for the Senior twins, Yates putting in Innes on the left, then Louis popping on the right with the try of the night. From his own chip on the run, he collected coolly, passed inside, then took the return pass to go on and glide over.
Wardle then began the second half with the first of his two tries - his first double since his debut in 2018 - interspersed with tries for McQueen and Ashall-Bott and seven goals from scrum-half Oliver Russell, a successful six out of seven conversion attempts and a penalty.
Armitage, at 30, the youngest after Delon (38) and Steffon (36) of the three largely French-based rugby-playing Armitage brothers, had the honour of the last try of the night - but it was still a rude awakening for the 24th and newest Super League club, who could have a long summer ahead.
Who's next?
Huddersfield host Hull KR next Saturday, while Toulouse face their first away trip next Sunday to Salford.
Toulouse's tremendous start . . .
Toulouse took just three minutes to score their first try in Super League . . .
. . . Yet it was not scored by a Frenchman, but a Scotsman, Irvine-born Warrington and Toronto old boy Matty Russell
Toulouse head coach Sylvain Houles:
"It was important that we had a good game to help with the confidence of the squad and the club but after that first 25 minutes it all went wrong.
"We need to sort it out very quickly because Super League has started now and the players need to learn very quickly what is required.
"We started really strongly but after that we had to defend all of the time and you can't afford to do that at this level."
Huddersfield coach Ian Watson:
"Toulouse have probably learned a big lesson. It's the first time they have had Super League opposition.
"I'm really pleased because this was a potential banana skin coming here. We don't really know what they are about, what the surroundings are like. We've never been here before.
"They started off strongly with loads of energy and we didn't start as well as we would have wanted to. But we handled it really well."
Toulouse: Gigot; Bergal, Armitage, Vaivai, Russell; Albert, Hankinson; Cunningham, Dixon, Peyroux, Navarrete, White, Bretherton.
Interchanges: Pelissier, Puech, Sangare, Paulo.
Huddersfield: Lolohea; I Senior, Wardle, Cudjoe, L Senior; Fages, Russell; Yates, Jones, McQueen, English, Levi, Hill.
Interchanges: Ashall-Bott, Trout, Greenwood, Ikahihifo.
Referee: Rob Hicks.