BRILLIANT LIONS TRIUMPH IN FRANCE!

11 April 2024

TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 14 SWINTON LIONS 20

IAN RIGG at Stade Ernest Wellon, Saturday 6 April 2024

A superb team performance from the Lions watched by a large travelling fans contingent saw them claim their first Championship win of the season with the home side only coming into the game in the final ten minutes. This was a new ground for the Lions and although it was dry and warm there was a tricky wind swirling around and the posts at either end were swaying throughout the match.

Olympique made the best of the kick off getting the ball straight back and this saw prop Lambert Belmas go close at the end of the first set, but good defence held him out. The Lions took the lead in the fourth minute when Andy Badrock broke down the left and them laid the ball on to Dan Abram who was in support, he then drew the defence and passed to Rhys Williams to dive over in the left corner. Dec Patton had the difficult conversion attempt from the touchline and tried to keep the ball low, but the wind took the ball well off course. More pressure on the line from Olympique on ten minutes and this ended with them forcing a goal line drop out as Richard Lepori shuffled the ball dead. From the kick more pressure on the line and the home side levelled the scores when former London Bronco Paul Ulberg scored in the left corner, but Jake Shorrocks was also unable to convert off the touchline. Dec Patton was a constant thorn in the Olympique defence with his tactical kicking. The Lions then forced a goal line drop out and got themselves in a good position a couple of times because of ill discipline from the Olympique defence giving away two penalties back-to-back and Josh Eaves made them pay on eighteen minutes when he went over from short range and Patton converted to put the Lions back in the driving seat. Paul Marcon and Belmas both then had chances, but great defence held them out and then they lost Craig Richards who was helped off with a leg injury. Marcon had another chance before the Lions lost Liam Cooper to HIA after a high shot from Belmas with the prop being sent to the sin bin. It was too windy to go for goal from the position of the penalty, but Jack Houghton went close on the first tackle from the play the ball after he was held up. They did make it pay though from the next play when a short pass found Jordy Gibson who dived over on the right in front of the Lions fans and Patton judged the wind to increase the Lions lead just before the break.

A good start for the Lions in the second half playing against the wind and seven minutes in Jake Spedding found Lepori and he swallow dived into the right corner, but Patton could not convert this from the touchline. Ryan Rivett thought he was in for a try for Olympique on fifty-seven minutes but knocked on as he chased a kick trying to dive over. Patton almost set up a try for Abram on sixty-five minutes, but good defence stopped him. Against the run of play Reuben Rennie crossed for the second try for Olympique with ten minutes left but Shorrocks was unable to convert off the touchline and then three minute later it was Shorrocks who found a rare gap in the Lions defence to score by the posts and add the conversion to set up a grandstand finish. Houghton put the Lions close to the line with three minutes left but knocked on at the play the ball and in the final minute Lepori made a break down the right only to be the victim of an illegal tackle from Eloi Pelissier near the touchline and this ended with a skirmish with Olympique hooker and Lepori being sent to the sinbin for the final seconds just before the final hooter sounded.

LIONS
Abram, Lepori, Spedding, Badrock, Williams, Patton, Gibson. Wood, Eaves, Brogan, Rodden, Cox, Hall. SUBS: Cooper, Case, Hatton, Houghton

Tries: Williams (4), Eaves (18), Gibson (36), Lepori (47).
Goals: Patton 2/4

Penalties: 11-8
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 3,542