Let's start with the positives. If Toulouse had won by 16 points or more, they would have elevated themselves to the lofty heights of third place in the Championship, but, with a performance like the one they gave, they were lucky not to be third from the bottom. That's that!
Alex Szostak led the procession of tries for the Eagles, scoring on 13 minutes. Prior to that, the Eagles defended eight sets of tackles to Toulouse's three. Then the rot set in. With monotonous regularity, the home team ran in tries. Firstly Szostak, then Joe Walsh, then Tangi Ropati, Walsh's second and Sam Barlow with Jonny Woodcock slotting four from five to make the game as easy as won after the first period. 28-0 takes a lot of coming back from and Toulouse just were not up for this game.
A half time roasting from the usually quiet Gilles Dumas sent the away team back onto the field with ringing ears, but it did not seem to have any effect as Damian Gibson and then Peter Green went over for tries, again converted by Jonny Woodcock, to bring up the forty before Rory Bromley crossed on 48 to put the French on the scoreboard. So with just about 50 minutes on the board, Eagles were 46-6 up and the game was over as a contest. A late consolation from Mathieu Griffi, converted by Nathan Wynn, brought up double figures for Toulouse, but they were never in the game.
In the last 20, Sheffield again exposed some weak defending, breaking tackles at will and reaching the fifty mark with eight minutes left on the board with further tries by Andy Boothroyd, Barlow's second and, the embarrassment of the game, a Danny Mills try after the hooter had gone when Toulouse were penalised. The ball was then kicked into the in-goal and, before the Olympique winger could shepherd it out of play, Mills ran in and grounded. To make matters worse, Woodcock converted from the touchline to make it 58-12 at the death. Even the Bradford full back Michael Platt would have been proud of his French counterpart, as he seemed to have learned something from the Bulls book of rubbish defending.
How do you describe a performance like this, coming as it did on the back of five straght wins? There was no heart, no passion and no pride. The recent success of the Olympique team seemed to have gone to the heads of a few players, who, it seems, thought they had only to turn up to win. But, as big as their win against Barrow was, the Eagles win against Halifax was just as good, if not better. Support play, a hunger for the ball and forward movement were features of the Eagles play and Mark Aston must have been a very happy bunny afterwards. His side had scored 98 points in two games and, if he can keep them on a roll, they will certainly have a say in the top six play off at the end of the season.
So it now comes to the man of the match awards for Toulouse. How I wish I had been following the Eagles. I would have had many to choose from, but asking me to pick a man of the match for Toulouse is like asking me to write an essay I once had to compose at school for some misdemeanour - "The contents of an empty box". Third, with one point, Rory Bromley, who at least tried to stem the tide flowing his way, if unsuccessfully. Second, Brendan Worth, who gives all in every game he plays. Three points go to Mathieu Griffi. His try at the latter end of the game shows that he at least has some pride in the shirt for 80 minutes. I apologise if the report seems to be a downer on Toulouse, but, as good as they have been in recent weeks, last night showed how bad they can be at times. And I am passionate about them.
sarcasm
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