Wakefield 26-38 Toulouse: Super League survival hopes alive for Toulouse

Toulouse scored 34 points in the second half to to claim an important 38-26 win over Wakefield and keep their Super League survival hopes alive.

It didn’t take long for Wakefield to get on the front foot in the opening stages. Scotland international Liam Hood darted from dummy half to catch the Toulouse defence off guard for the game’s opening try.

Willie Poching’s side extended their lead in the 11th minute when Matty Ashurst latched onto a grubber, with Max Jowitt converting.

Toulouse came back into the game as the half went on. Corey Norman drew in a couple of Wakefield defenders to set Joe Bretherton through a gap to score.

The French side conceded too many errors in the first half though, with Jowitt adding a penalty goal to put his side 10 points ahead on the half hour mark.

And sloppy try-line defence from Toulouse resulted in big bopper David Fifita cruising over.

But Trinity were dealt a blow as the half-time hooter sounded as Fifita was sin-binned for a professional foul.

HT: Wakefield Trinity 20-4 Toulouse Olympique

Toulouse played like a prime Melbourne Storm in the second half. Whatever Sylvain Houles said to his side at half-time worked wonders.

They scored six tries within the space of 20 minutes following the second half restarting.

Toulouse came out firing with three tries through Lambert Belmas, Olly Ashall-Bott and Nathan Peats.

Wakefield had another man sent to the sin bin, this time in the shape of prop Rob Butler, who was shown a yellow card for a tip tackle.

Toulouse took full advantage of having the extra man on the field as Latrell Schaumkel scored as well as Scotsman Russell getting his second of the afternoon.

It was a nervy ending to the game for both sides, with Wakefield’s Kelepi Tanginoa and Toulouse’s Guy Armitage going over at the death. It was Toulouse who finished 38-26 winners in an incredible opening game of Magic Weekend.

FT: Wakefield Trinity 26-38  Toulouse Olympique

Wakefield: Jowitt; Evans, Croft, Hall, Murphy; Miller, Walker; Whitbread, Hood, Arona, Ashurst, Pitts, Batchelor. Subs: Tanginoa, Crowther, Butler, Fifita.

Tries: Hood, Ashurst, Fifita, Tanginoa Goals: Jowitt 5

Toulouse: Ashall-Bott; Schaumkel, Armitage, Hankinson, Russell; Norman, Gigot; Navarrete, Peats, Alvaro, Bretherton, Peyroux, Paulo. Subs: Albert, Hansen, Sangare, Belmas.

Tries: Bretherton, Belmas, Russell (2), Peats, Schaumkel, Armitage Goals: Hankinson 5

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