Featherstone Rovers 36 Swinton Lions 2: Rovers leapfrog Toulouse after victory

FEATHERSTONE climbed above Toulouse to third place in the Kingstone Press Championship with a seven-try win.

Anthony Thackeray and Josh Hardcastle each scored two tries as Rovers bounced back from their 58-0 defeat at Leeds in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals.

They completed a league double over lowly Swinton who have won just once at Featherstone in 52 years.

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Rovers are now only one point behind second-placed London Broncos who they visit on Sunday in their third game in nine days.

Featherstone, whose line-up included Leeds Rhinos dual registered forwards Josh Walters, Jordan Baldwinson and Jack Ormondroyd, fell behind to a third minute penalty goal by Chris Atkin but they dominated the rest of the first-half to lead 20-2 at half-time.

Matty Wildie put in Hardcastle for the opening try and Kyran Johnson then kicked a penalty goal to make it 6-2.

Rovers missed a gilt-edged chance when Johnson dropped Ian Hardman’s pass with the try line wide open but it was only temporary respite for Swinton.

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Wildie scooped up a loose ball to dart over from 35 yards out and Thackeray then dummied his way over.

Rovers struck again on the stroke of half-time when John Davies scored from Keal Carlile’s kick and Johnson converted.

Thackeray bagged his second early in the second-half after Swinton full-back Jack Hampson fumbled Wildie’s kick.

Hardcastle then grabbed his second from another clever grubber kick by Carlile before Jason Walton powered over four minutes from time to complete the scoring.

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John Davies kicked two goals in a scrappy game that was punctuated by 23 penalties.

Featherstone Rovers: Hardman; Johnson, Ulugia, Hardcastle, Taulapapa; Thackeray, Wildie; Baldwinson, Carlile, Griffin, Walton, Mariano, Walters. Subs: Davies, Moore, Bostock, Ormondroyd.

Swinton Lions: Hampson; Hankinson, Forsyth, Lloyd, Butt; White, Atkin; Barnes, Nicholson, Barlow, Paisley, Jones, Bate. Subs: Carberry, Bracek, Davies, Butterworth.;

Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan).

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