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3 weeks ago
07 May 2023
IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Saturday
Swinton Lions crowned coronation day with a stunning performance to stun high flying Toulouse in a total team performance. Both sides brought in some Super League dual registration players for the game with Toulouse fielding Mathieu Laguerre and Ugo Tison from the Dragons and the Lions had Luke Thomas from the Wolves and Ben Davies from Saints. The visitors started well with Paul Marcon having the first chance on seven minutes, but some super defence held him up over the line in the corner. Josh Ralph then kicked a forty-twenty and from this attack Guy Armitage thought he has scored but was pulled back for a forward pass from Ralph. Sitaleki Akauola was sent to the sinbin for back chat on twenty minutes and from the resulting penalty the Lions made it count when Gav Rodden set up a try in the corner for Jake Spedding and Ben Davies added the conversion from the touchline. Davies then extended the Lions lead five minutes later when he converted a penalty goal from thirty-five metres. Marcon and Jussaume then set up a chance for Robin Brochon but again great defence from the Lions. And just before the break Dom Peyroux also tried to get Marcon away down the right but his pass sailed over the winger’s head and into touch.
A good attacking move from the Lions in the opening minutes of the second half but some great defence from the impressive Brochon ended it. Another Lions attack on forty-six minutes and a bomb kick from Jordy Gibson was dropped by Armitage and gave them another set, and Toulouse paid heavily for this when George Roby sent out a super short pass near the line for birthday boy Louis Brogan to score under the posts and Davies added the simple conversion. Davies then again increased the Lions lead on fifty-two minutes with another penalty goal from just short of forty metres. Soon after this Akauola was again sent to the sinbin for holding down and again Davies added another penalty goal from long range to put his side three scores ahead. Toulouse tried to hit back again but two chances went with one being a forward pass in a good position and the second was, yet another knock on in a good scoring position. Brogan made a break of around forty metres to put the Lions in a good position in the Toulouse twenty but it looked like they had messed it up when a pass from the play the ball went backwards passed some Lions attackers, but Gibson chased back and picked it up and with this being the last tackle he added a long range drop goal from around thirty-five metres. Toulouse hit back from the restart and Akauola managed to crash in from short range by the posts and Jack Shorrocks added the conversion. Joey Romeo, Spedding and Rhodri Lloyd were then all involved in a move down the right, but the ball went to ground. Toulouse then had a couple of sets on the Lions line but again the solid defence kept them out and the Calum Gahan was held up with five minutes left and with a couple of tackles left Peyroux manged to get over for there second try on the right and Shorrocks again converted. From the restart Brochon made his first mistake of the game knocking on from the kick off and from the pressure it was the Lions who had the final chance when Josh Eves was held up over the line.
MATCHFACTS
LIONS
23 Joe Lowe
3 Jake Spedding
36 Ben Davies
11 Rhodri Lloyd
26 Joey Romeo
19 Olly Olds
7 Jordy Gibson
10 Kenny Baker
14 Josh Eaves
15 Jordan Case
16 Gav Rodden
22 Andy Badrock
6 Nick Gregson
Subs (all used)
13 Louis Brogan
31 George Roby
34 Luke Thomas
35 Lewis Hall
Tries: Spedding (21), Brogan (47)
Goals: Davies 5/5
Drop Goal: Gibson -1
TOULOUSE
23 Robin Brochon
5 Paul Marcon
4 Mathieu Jussame
25 Mathieu Laguerre
18 Guy Armitage
6 Josh Ralph
7 Jake Shorrocks
20 Greg Richards
9 Calum Gahan
10 Harrison Hansen
12 Dom Peyroux
16 Joe Bretherton
13 Anthony Marion
Subs (all Used)
15 Sitaleki Akauola
17 Hugo Pezet
22 Ugo Tison
27 Dimitri Biscarro
Tries: Akauola (65), Peyroux (75)
Goals: Shorrocks 2/2
Sinbin: Akauola (20) Discent
Akauola (54) Holding Down
Penalties: 6-8 Half-time: 8-0
Referee: Brad Milligan Attendance: 957
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0,8-0,14-0,16-0,18-0,19-0,19-6,19-12
