Leeds Rhinos Secure Victory Against Toulouse at Stade Ernest Wallon
Harry Newman scored two first-half tries for Leeds Rhinos in their match against Toulouse.
Betfred Super League, Stade Ernest Wallon
Tries: Lacans 2, Polselli, Laguerre
Goals: Shorrocks 4
Tries: Croft, Sivo 2, Newman 2, McCormack, Hankinson, Smith
Goals: Connor 8
Leeds Rhinos withstood a strong second-half resurgence from Toulouse to claim a win in the south of France, returning to the top of the Super League standings.
Leeds established a commanding 30-0 lead in the first half through tries from Brodie Croft, Maika Sivo, Fergie McCormack, and two from Harry Newman.
However, a try from Thomas Lacans just before halftime revitalized Toulouse, who then scored three more tries early in the second half. Lacans added a second try after the break, and Luke Polselli and Matthieu Laguerre also crossed the line, narrowing the gap to 30-24 with 25 minutes remaining.
Despite Toulouse's spirited comeback, Leeds responded with Sivo's second try to halt the momentum. Late tries from Chris Hankinson and Cameron Smith secured the victory for Leeds.
This marked Leeds' first win at Stade Ernest Wallon and their 11th victory of the season, moving them above Warrington Wolves on points difference. Toulouse remained in 12th place following their 10th defeat of the campaign.
Match Summary
The first half was dominated by Leeds, who were both strong and precise. Croft opened the scoring after just four minutes, followed quickly by a try from Fijian winger Maika Sivo.
Newman added the visitors' third try, and 20-year-old Fergie McCormack scored his first try for Leeds in only his third Super League appearance. Newman’s second try appeared to put the game out of reach at 30-0.
However, a breakaway try from Lacans on the stroke of halftime gave Toulouse a much-needed boost.
After the interval, Toulouse came back strongly, scoring three tries within 12 minutes. Polselli scored in the corner early in the second half, followed by Lacans’ second try. Leeds then made a mistake near their own line, which Toulouse capitalized on from a scrum, allowing Laguerre to score and reduce the deficit to a single score.
Leeds then steadied the game, with Ash Handley coming close to scoring before Jake Connor and McCormack combined to set up Sivo’s second try. This score effectively ended Toulouse’s momentum.
Leeds extended their lead in the closing stages with a break from Mikolaj Oledzki creating the opportunity for Hankinson’s try. Three minutes from time, an offload from Cooper Jenkins enabled Cameron Smith to score, with Connor successfully kicking his eighth conversion of the match.
Team Lineups
Toulouse: Rouge; Laguerre, Polselli, Quai-Ward, Ulberg; Lacans, Shorrocks; Roumanos, Hands, Butler, O’Kane, Jussaume, Cator.
Interchanges: Marion, Chan, Toleafoa, Wallace.
Leeds: McCormack; Hall, Newman, Handley, Sivo; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O’Connor, Palasia, Hankinson, McDonnell, Watkins.
Interchanges: Jenkins, Levi, Smith, Cassell.
