York Knights fell to a 36-0 defeat away to the unbeaten Betfred Championship leaders and recently relegated Toulouse Olympique at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Guy Armitage scored four tries for Toulouse, including a first-half hat-trick, with Reubenn Rennie, Olly Ashall-Bott and Mathieu Jussaume also crossing the whitewash.
While a tough evening ensued for York, the Knights could leave Southern France with their heads held high, having battled through serious adversity, finishing the match with just 13 fit players.
The healthy following of Knights supporters, who made their voices heard throughout the 80 minutes, also witnessed the continuing progression of the Club’s young contingent, including debutant Harry Price and Ben Barnard, making his first start for York.
Toulouse made a strong start and Armitage had two tries within the opening 10 minutes, finishing off an Ashall-Bott cut-out pass before fending off Joe Brown to capitalise on Rennie’s break.
Jake Shorrocks converted the latter, the half-back ending the game with three conversions from seven attempts. Anthony Marion added a penalty goal on 25 minutes for a 12-0 lead.
Armitage completed his hat-trick before half time as he once more dived over from an Ashall-Bott cut-out pass.
Rennie added to Toulouse’s lead six minutes into the second-half as a strong line from Shorrocks’ short ball put him through the defence.
The Knights, who had lost Ronan Michael to a failed head injury assessment by this stage and did not call upon Chris Clarkson from the bench through injury, battled hard to win some field position but lacked a cutting edge to profit from it.
Toulouse added three more tries in the final quarter of an hour, by which point AJ Towse and Danny Kirmond both left the field with knocks.
Ashall-Bott showed his superb turn of pace to race through a gap down the left flank before Mathieu Jussaume touched down from Paul Marcon’s knock back.
Armitage finished as he started, proving too strong on the left flank in the final attack of the match.
Toulouse: Ashall-Bott, Armitage, Rennie, Jussaume, Marcon, Ralph, Shorrocks, Belmas, Marion, Bretherton, Peyroux, Stefani, Hansen.
Subs (all used): Pelissier, Akauola, Pezet, Richards.
Tries: Armitage (5’, 9’, 35’, 79’), Rennie (46’), Ashall-Bott (65’), Jussaume (71’)
Goals: Shorrocks (3/7), Marion (1/1)
York: Brown, Towse, Edwards, Ward, Harrison, Dee, Harris, Kirby, Jubb, Fitzsimmons, Antrobus, Kirmond, Barnard.
Subs used: Michael, Teanby, Price. Subs not used: Clarkson.
Referee: Aaron Moore
Picture by David Gibson Photography
Comments