Toulouse 34-23 Hull KR: Toulouse keep hopes alive with shock win
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 22/09/18 8:10pm
Toulouse pulled off a shock 34-23 win over Hull KR in the penultimate round of the Super 8s Qualifiers to keep alive their promotion hopes.
The French side recovered an early 19-0 deficit in emphatic fashion to secure a third win of the competition, to the delight of the 4,127 crowd at Stade Ernest Argeles.
With London Broncos defeating Salford earlier in the day, it means the battle for Super League places in 2019 will go down to the last weekend of the season.
Toulouse take on Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium in their last match next Thursday and will do so in high spirits after their six-try triumph over Rovers.
Rovers made a dream start after five minutes when prop Rob Mulhern crashed over from close range for the game's opening try and winger Craig Hall quickly added a second after sprinting 80 metres from an interception.
Danny Tickle added both conversions for a 12-0 lead and they took advantage of the sin-binning of Toulouse half-back William Barthau with McGuire extending the lead with a drop goal midway through the first half.
The visitors were comfortably placed when Atkin went over for their third try on 24 minutes, with Tickle taking their lead out to 19-0.
But the game was turned on its head after Toulouse scored three tries in six minutes just before half-time.
Second rower Rhys Curran, centre Chris Centrone and half-back Stan Robin all went over for tries which were converted by Mark Khairallah to bring his side to within a point at 19-18.
Referee Ben Thaler then brandished yellow cards to Tyla Hepi (Toulouse) and James Greenwood (Hull KR) following an outbreak of fighting as the tension rose.
Toulouse maintained their moment after the break and went in front for the first time two minutes after the restart courtesy of a penalty from Kheirallah before Gavin Marguerite went over for another try and Centrone added his second try to extend the lead to 28-19.
Kheirallah kept the scoreboard ticking over with a penalty before Bastien Ader rounded off his side's scoring on 65 minutes.
Hall grabbed his second try, his 13th in seven matches since returning to the club, eight minutes from the end but the visitors had left themselves with too much to do.
