Super League: Leeds 25-14 Toulouse - Rhinos claim second win of season

Leeds and Toulouse were meeting for only the third time - and the first time in Super League

Leeds Rhinos won for only the second time in Super League this season as they outscored Toulouse four tries to three in the battle of the bottom two.

Brad Dwyer scored two of their tries, while James Donaldson and Tom Briscoe also crossed the whitewash.

Toulouse trailed 12-6 at the break despite a converted try by Paul Marcon.

The promoted French side scored two more tries after the turn-round from Matty Russell and Junior Vaivai - but it was not enough.

And they are now the only side in Super League with only a single victory to their name this campaign.

This was Leeds' first game since the appointment of Rohan Smith as their new coach, but caretaker boss Jamie Jones-Buchanan picked the team - and enjoyed his first win since stepping up to take over when Richard Agar departed.

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Things did not start well for Jones-Buchanan when the visitors took the lead with their first real attack as Tony Gigot's high kick picked out Marcon.

Gigot added the extras but Leeds were level by the half-hour mark when Rhyse Martin converted after Dwyer's ball from dummy half found Donaldson.

Dwyer then scored himself when he dummied his own way through and Martin's conversion made it 12-6 at the break.

Leeds extended their advantage when Briscoe dived over under pressure in the corner 10 minutes into the second half. Martin missed the conversion but Dwyer's penalty made it 18-6 before Kruise Leeming's drop goal crucially nudged the Rhinos three scores clear.

Toulouse scored again when Russell went over in the corner but Gigot failed to add the extras and when Dwyer ran in for his second try of the evening, Martin's conversion made it 25-10 before Vaivai made the most of some late pressure to add a consolation.

Leeds' next game is the now even more intriguing home clash next Friday night with former Rhinos boss Tony Smith's current club Hull KR, the hosts' final game under Jones-Buchanan before new boss Rohan Smith officially takes charge of his Uncle Tony's old club.

Toulouse are then due on Humberside the following day to face Hull.

Interim Leeds head coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan:

"I felt like we were in a prequel of something that could potentially be special going forward. New coach coming in, Rohan Smith. I'm excited about what he's going to bring in and the pedigree that he's got.

"If they keep fighting, stick together and work hard like this, they will lift trophies. Not least because lads like Kruise Leeming, Ash Handley, Brad Dwyer in the last three or four weeks have been outstanding.

"I have mixed emotions - happy to win but it's been the first time in my life over the last month when winning has not been paramount for me. Not the most important thing. It's been that bit under the iceberg when you see the development of everything else that ultimately results in performance."

Toulouse head coach Sylvain Houles:

"It was an important game, probably more for them because they were at home. It's tough but we believe in ourselves and we came here for a win.

"It's quite disappointing but after this there is still plenty of games to play, plenty of home games for us and they're the most important I believe.

"We played three games in eight days. When you count all the travelling we've done, it's one of those things. I don't really understand why we played on Friday. In this period it is already tough enough and I don't understand why we couldn't play on a Sunday."

Leeds: Sutcliffe; Handley, Broadbent, Simpson, Briscoe; Leeming, Sinfield; Oledzki, Dwyer, Prior, Martin, Gannon, Smith.

Interchanges: Thompson, Donaldson, Mustapha, O'Connor.

Toulouse: Ashall-Bott; Marcon, Hankinson, Vaivai, Russell; Gigot, Marion; Navarrete, Cunningham, Sangare, Stefani, Dixon, Bretherton.

Interchanges: Pelissier, Springer, Pezet, Hansen.

Referee: Tom Grant.

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