Super League: Toulouse Olympique 14-20 Castleford Tigers

Suaia Matagi's fifth Super League try got Castleford up and running in France

Mahe Fonua's late try helped Castleford fight back to beat bottom side Toulouse at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Olly Ashall-Bott put Toulouse ahead before Suaia Matagi hit back for Cas as the sides went in level after a tight first half.

Matty Russell put the hosts back in front, but George Griffin brought the visitors level before Danny Richardson and Chris Hankinson traded penalties.

But Fonua darted through to give the Tigers a third away win of the season.

Both sides kicked off desperate for a win, bottom side Toulouse bidding to stay in touch with the sides above, and Castleford looking to improve on a run of three defeats in four.

Both defences were on top in a cagey and scoreless opening 20 minutes, Latrell Schaumkel doing well to stop Greg Eden's break down the wing for Cas, while Anthony Marion went over for the hosts before the 17th-minute play was pulled back.

The deadlock was broken by the hosts after 27 minutes when Ashall-Bott finished off back-to-back sets to run in his fourth try in as many matches, but Matagi crashed over to bring Cas level seven minutes later.

Cas ended the first half on top, but the Toulouse defence held strong and moments into the second period, Hankinson's fine pass put Matty Russell in to restore the hosts' lead.

Toulouse continued to threaten, but were pegged back by Griffin who drove over shortly after Ryan Hampshire's 70-metre break.

Richardson's penalty put Tigers in front for the first time with 18 minutes left before Hankinson's third goal levelled things up once more.

The Toulouse resistance was finally broken with eight minutes left when Fonua cut inside, spotted a gap and burst through to consign the French to a 13th defeat of the season.

Toulouse boss Sylvain Houles:

"We still believe. Obviously, the players and staff are fed up of losing.

"We're not short of effort at every level at this club and we will fight until we cannot do so any more.

"We have belief and our job is still the same, there are 12 games to go and three teams above us on 10 points.

"So let's go and get them, we know what we have to do.

"Every game now is a Million Pound game or Grand Final for us. We have to prepare for every one of those opportunities."

Castleford head coach Lee Radford:

"That's a really rewarding result in such hot conditions. Prior to arriving they said it would be around the 31 degrees area but with the sun it felt much hotter pitchside.

"It's impossible to prepare for that, even the home team struggled but I can understand why they complete high and get very methodical in these conditions, you have to, to survive.

"We took our opportunities well, and so did they, we need to work on our right edge defence. Our effort probably deserved the result today."

Toulouse: Navarrete, Peats, Alvaro, Peyroux, Dixon, Marion, Albert, Norman, Russell, Hankinson, Jussaume, Schaumkel, Ashall-Bott.

Interchanges: Pelissier, Hansen, Puech, Paulo.

Castleford: Massey, McShane, Griffin, Edwards, Milner, Westerman, Trueman, Richardson, Eden, Fonua, Blair, Faraimo, Hampshire.

Interchanges: Olpherts, Watts, Matagi, Martin.

Referee: J Child.

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