A WARRINGTON Wolves side featuring 13 academy products defeated Toulouse to secure third spot in the Super League table.
With a top two finish basically out of reach, Sam Burgess handed debuts to Pat Irwin and Daniel Coop, and despite Charlie McKler spending the final 10 minutes of the match in the sinbin, Warrington came out 26-14 winners.
The French side entered the game as slight favourites owing to Warrington’s decision to rest several of their bighitters, with Sylvain Houles’ men having enjoyed a more than respectable season after coming up from the Championship.
In the early exchanges, they looked like they might be too strong, Mathieu Pons denied a long-range solo effort by the video referee after promoting the ball a second time following a heroic chase back by Jake Thewlis.
Toulouse did take the lead on 10 minutes, winger Paul Ulberg getting to Cesar Rouge’s kick on the right hand side.
But Arron Lindop pounced on a knock-on minutes later to level things up at 4-4.
Pons did get on the scoresheet to put Toulouse back in front before the Wolves grabbed a crucial score on the stroke of half-time through Lachlan Webster.
When Romeo Tropis put Toulouse 14-8 up nine minutes in to the second half, you wouldn’t have thought that would be the last time Toulouse troubled the scorers, but it would prove to be the case.
Max Wood powered over to bring the scores back level and then Lindop again pounced on a mistake to return the ball for a try on the hour mark to put the Wolves ahead for the first time.
With six points the difference, the game threatened to swing in Toulouse’s favour when McKler was sinbinned following an attempted big hit that resulted in a clash of heads in the Toulouse in-goal.
But before Toulouse had even attempted to make the most of their numerical advantage, Josh Smith touched down to give Warrington a 12-point lead that would be more than enough to see the game out.
Warrington will now host Hull KR in the play-offs next Saturday evening.
Warrington: Taylor-Wray, Webster, J Smith, Lindop, Jake Thewlis, P Irwin, Hayes, Yates, Powell, Harrison, Holroyd, E Smith, McKler. Subs: Wood, McKinney, Hartill, Coop.
Toulouse: Polselli, Pons, Tropis, Jussaume, Ulberg, Lacans, Rouge, Belmas, Hands, Roumanos, O’Kane, Grossemy, Cator. Subs: Marion, Chan, Butler, Garrigues.
