Widnes Vikings put in a spirited display but came up just short as they fell to a 40-28 defeat at Toulouse Olympique in Round 17 of the Betfred Championship.
The Vikings found themselves 24-0 down inside the opening quarter but fought back well as Ryan Millar crossed twice before the half-time break.
Shane Grady scored eight minutes into the second half, either side of tries from Paul Marcon and Mathieu Jussaume, and Kieran Dixon soon touched down in the corner to make it 36-18.
The Vikings winger scored his second of the afternoon with 64 minutes on the clock to bring the Vikings back to within 12, but Guy Armitage wrapped up the win for the French side before Sam Wilde scored a consolation in the dying minutes.
Team news
The late withdrawal of Jack Owens shortly before kick-off saw the Vikings forced into a reshuffle, with Joe Edge – who was originally named at centre – moving to full-back and 18th man Ollie Brookes coming into the backline.
The return of Shane Grady to the starting line-up meant Jacob Jones moved to loose forward, while Will Tilleke was named on the bench as Lewis Hatton and Aaron Brown missed out.
Story of the game
Toulouse opened the scoring on their first real foray into Vikings territory as forward Dimitri Biscarro scored his first try in professional rugby league.
Callum Gahan combined with Jake Shorrocks to cross next, before Maxime Stefani powered his way over with 15 minutes on the clock.
Biscarro’s second of the day soon made it 24-0, but the Vikings would respond before half-time through Ryan Millar, who produced a typically spectacular finish in the corner.
A carbon-copy move saw Millar grab his second, making it 24-8 at the break.
Not long after the break, Olympique stretched their lead when Paul Marcon supported Josh Ralph’s break and crossed under the posts.
A converted Shane Grady try pulled the Vikings back into it, but Ralph combined with Mathieu Jussaume to give the hosts some breathing space.
A quickfire double from Kieran Dixon either side of the hour mark meant the scoreline read 36-24, but Guy Armitage got on the end of a teasing Ralph kick with 10 minutes left to help Toulouse bring up the 40-point mark.
Still, there was time for Sam Wilde to round off the scoring, with a Joe Edge conversion meaning it finished 40-28 at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Next game
Monday 10 July – Bradford Bulls (H) – 7:45pm
Teams and scorers
Toulouse Olympique: Robin Brochon, Paul Marcon, Mathieu Jussaume, Guy Armitage, Ben Laguerre, Josh Ralph, Jake Shorrocks, Lambert Belmas, Calum Gahan, Dimitri Biscarro, Pierre-Jean Lima, Maxime Stefani, Anthony Marion.
Interchanges: Greg Richards, Joe Bretherton, Ramon Silva, Eloi Pelissier (18th man: Hugo Pezet).
Tries: Biscarro 2, Gahan, Stefani, Marcon, Jussaume, Armitage
Goals: Shorrocks 6
Widnes Vikings: Joe Edge, Ryan Millar, Max Roberts, Ollie Brookes, Kieran Dixon, Joe Lyons, Tom Gilmore, Olly Davies, Jordan Johnstone, Ant Walker, Sam Wilde, Shane Grady, Jacob Jones.
Interchanges: Callum Field, Matty Fozard, Adam Lawton, Will Tilleke (18th man: Jack Owens).
Tries: Millar 2, Grady, Dixon 2, Wilde
Goals: Edge 2
Man of the Match
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Photo credit: David Gibson
