Toulouse Olympique turned Super League upside down with a stunning 22-20 victory over champions St Helens; Mason Lino's 18-point haul helped Wakefield make it back-to-back wins in the Betfred Super League as they saw off Warrington in the lunchtime game
Saturday 19 March 2022 20:30, UK
We round up all of Saturday's action in the Betfred Super League, including an incredible victory for Toulouse Olympique against St Helens and Mason Lino playing a starring role for Wakefield Trinity in their victory against Warrington Wolves...
Toulouse Olympique turned Super League upside down with a stunning 22-20 victory over champions St Helens at Stade Ernest Wallon.
The first win of the season for the French club came against the previously-unbeaten Saints in a result that will have major implications at both ends of the league table.
The tone was set from the very start, Saints fumbled the kick-off and handed possession to Toulouse, who switched the ball left where winger Matty Russell struck in the corner for the opening score in the first minute. Chris Hankinson landed the touchline conversion and the Olympians were incredibly 6-0 ahead.
The lead did not last long, and a 70-metre break by Konrad Hurrell, bravely halted by Toulouse full-back Olly Ashall-Bott created the field position for Tommy Makinson to stride over on the left but he was unable to convert his try from the touchline.
Josh Simm latched on to a long pass to score in the opposite corner to put Saints ahead in the 17th minute but Toulouse hit back straight from the restart as the kick-off bounced straight into touch.
Tony Gigot threaded a grubber kick through the defence for former Saints star Dominique Peyroux to score his first try against his old club. Hankinson's conversion put the Olympians in front 12-8.
But St Helens went ahead just before half-time when Makinson set off on a mazy 30-metre dash which created the space for full-back Jack Welsby to cross the line unopposed, with Lewis Dodd adding the extras.
Just two points separated the teams at the interval but the addition of veteran hooker James Roby 10 minutes into the second half seemed to inspire Saints. He was involved in the break that saw fellow substitutes Jake Wingfield and Daniel Norman combine for the next try, Norman touching down and Dodd converting to make it 20-12.
But Toulouse scrum-half Lucas Albert came up with two killer plays to put his side back in the game, the first a 60-metre kick fielded by Simm who was bundled into touch by the flag, then a slick delayed pass to put Chris Hankinson over the line for a try he converted himself.
At 20-18 to the visitors with 10 minutes to play the game was wide open and three penalties in a row conceded by St Helens put Toulouse on the attack. When winger Paul Marcon crossed in the right corner from a booming Gigot pass, pandemonium broke out among French supporters with fireworks and smoke billowing across the pitch.
Hankinson could not see through the smoke to land the touchline conversion but at 22-20 up with two minutes to go the Olympians held on for a historic momentum-shifting victory.
Mason Lino claimed an 18-point haul as Trinity recorded a convincing victory over Warrington in the Saturday lunchtime Super League match at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Wakefield followed up their opening win of the season against Toulouse Olympique the previous week with a well-deserved success and their first victory at Warrington since July 2014, with half-back Lino claiming a crucial second-half try and landing seven goals from seven attempts.
Matty Ashurst capped his 150th appearance for Trinity a try too, while the others for the visitors came from Liam Hood, Jordan Crowther, Morgan Escare and Corey Hall.
By contrast, it was another disappointing afternoon for the Wolves who suffered their third successive loss after back-to-back defeats against last season's Grand Finalists Catalans Dragons and St Helens.
The game got off to an explosive start when winger Matty Ashton broke from deep inside in his own half and raced 70 metres for a spectacular try for the home side inside 90 seconds which Stefan Ratchford converted. But Trinity recovered from that early blow and levelled matters when they kept the ball alive and Hood burrowed his way over from close range.
As play went from end to end, Warrington regained the lead when Toby King touched down from George Williams' kick, but back came the visitors and the returning Jacob Miller's pass allowed Crowther to crash over and, with both tries converted, the scores were level.
Wakefield's enterprising play resulted in them taking the lead for the first time eight minutes before the break as Tom Johnstone's one-handed pass allowed Hall to touch down and Lino landed a fine touchline conversion.
But in the dying seconds of the half a Trinity knock-on deep inside their own half was punished by the home side when Danny Walker and Joe Philbin exchanged passes for the Warrington hooker to go in under the posts. Ratchford was on target with his third conversion to level matters at 18-18 at half-time.
Ashurst put Wakefield back in front seven minutes after the restart on his landmark appearance before the Wolves responded just after the hour mark when Josh Thewlis dived over in the corner to give the home side hope.
But a superb individual effort by Lino put the visitors back in command 12 minutes from time and the win was sealed when Escare crossed in the dying minutes with Lino kicking both conversions and also on target with a late penalty to seal victory for Willie Poching's men.
Super League takes a week off for the sixth round of this year's Betfred Challenge Cup, which sees Warrington and Wakefield facing each other at the Halliwell Jones Stadium again on Sunday, March 27 (2pm kick-off).
St Helens travel to Betfred Championship side Whitehaven the day before (2pm), while Toulouse are not involved in the competition this season and have a week off.
