Featherstone Rovers 24 Toulouse 26: Toulouse battle back and bring Rovers' run to an end

A LATE try by Toulouse's Vincent Duport wrecked Featherstone Rovers' erstwhile perfect league record.

Duport scored two minutes from time and Nathan Wynn kicked the winning conversion as the French side completed a second-half fightback to end Featherstone's eight-match winning league run.

Featherstone's defeat was hard on Ian Hardman and Zak Hardaker who each scored two tries.

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Toulouse took a second-minute lead when Nathan Wynn sent Yoan Tisseyre crashing over but Rovers quickly replied when Liam Finn's delayed pass put in Hardman from close range.

Featherstone increased their lead when Jesse Joe Parker cleverly created the opening for young winger Hardaker to race 45 metres to score but the French side continued to look dangerous.

They cut the gap to two points with Sebastian Planas's 16th-minute try which Nathan Wynn goaled.

The game became increasingly untidy as both teams made handling errors in the wet conditions.

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Briggs's penalty attempt struck a post before Rovers made it

18-10 in the 35th minute when Finn again supplied a defence-splitting pass for Hardman to collect his second touchdown and Briggs added the third of his four goals.

They went further ahead early in the second half with Hardaker's second try but Toulouse hauled themselves back with two tries in three minutes from Martin Mitchell and Rory Bromley.

Hardman rescued Rovers with a superb try-saving tackle on Bromley six minutes from time but sustained Toulouse pressure finally told when Duport crossed.

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The game was preceded by a minute's applause in memory of Rovers' first-team squad member Gareth Swift who died recently in a road accident.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman; Hardaker, Parker, Allan, Saxton; Briggs, Finn; Tonks, Kaye, Dickens, Manning, Field, Dale. Substitutes: Kain, Divorty, Morrison, Spears.

Toulouse Olympique: Bromley; Olari, Planas, Duport, Varela; Houles, N Wynn; Worth, Mitchell, Griffi, Tisseyre, Maria, Anselme. Substitutes: T Wynn, Larroyer, Pelo, Gigord.

Referee: W Turley (Leeds).