Spirited Bulldogs but Toulouse edge home
Toulouse Olympique 32
Batley Bulldogs 24
BATLEY produced a spirited effort in the south of France on a sweltering Saturday evening but Toulouse had just enough to secure victory in this Co-operative Championship clash.
The biggest away following for a league game in Toulouse this season – around 200 in a crowd of 2,176 –saw a tense and tight first half end 12-12.
The Bulldogs could have been ahead if Danny Maun and then Ian Preece had not had scores ruled out for forward passes before two quick tries after the break saw the hosts take charge.
Another score gave them what appeared an unassailable 30-12 lead but Batley roared back to within six points before Toulouse sealed victory four minutes from time when a Nathan Wynn penalty gave them an eight-point cushion.
It was a gallant effort by the Bulldogs, buoyed by the victories over Whitehaven and Widnes, and shows they had made good progress since the hammering by Toulouse at Mount Pleasant two months ago.
The deserved bonus point saw them stay just ahead of second-bottom Gateshead, who had a thumping 40-12 victory at Leigh.
Scrum-half Paul Mennell again pulled the strings for Batley assisted at half-back by Paul Handforth while there was a return to first team action for prop Anthony Henderson after breaking a thumb.
Batley had plenty of possession in the early stages and reward came after 16 minutes when a quick dart by Mennell saw him scamper over for a try which he then converted.
Two minutes later the home side were level as Martin Mitchell, who had switched from hooker to stand-off, touched down and Nathan Wynn landed the first of his six goals.
Both sides tried hard to breach their opponents’ ranks and the sides appeared evenly matched.
Nine minutes before the break Toulouse took the lead for the first time with a try from Cedric Gay, converted by Wynn, but Batley were deservedly level 12-12 at half-time as Maun touched down a minute before the break and Handforth added the goal.
A fired up home side hit the front with two tries early in the second half.
First Damian Couturier scored a 47th minute try, goalled by Wynn and he was on target again two minutes later to convert a try from full-back Rory Bromley.
Batley battled hard but all hope seemed gone when in the 56th minute second row Timothy Wynn broke the defence and sidestepped to the line for a try which Nathan Wynn converted.
But the Bulldogs dug deep and gave the hosts a real scare with a determined comeback.
Handforth raced in for a try in the 64th minute while four minutes later, after Toulouse saw second row Yohan Barthau sin binned, substitute John Simpson powered over to touch down.
Mennell was on target with both conversions and Toulouse held just a narrow six-point lead with Batley in the ascendency and scenting a remarkable comeback.
The Bulldogs drove on in search of the crucial score but four minutes from time they were caught offside and Nathan Wynn’s penalty saw a relieved Toulouse side seal victory to climb to fourth place, nine points ahead of Batley.
Toulouse Olympique: Bromley; Payan, Quintilla, Couturier, Bienes; N.Wynn, Mitchell; Worth, Gay, Borlin, T.Wynn, Barthau, Almarcha. Subs: Pramil, Viala, Ormeno, Faure.
Batley Bulldogs: Preece; McGilvary, Crouthers, Maun, Campbell; Handforth, Mennell; Henderson, Lythe, Smith, Potter, Buttery, Lindsay. Subs: Barlow, Gallagher, Simpson, Tootill.
Referee: Peter Brooke.
Attendance: 2,176
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Weather for Batley
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
