The two two sides at the end of the regular season won
through to the Grand Final as York RLFC Knights hosted Toulouse Olympique XII with
a titanic battle on the cards to secure the trophy.
The sides had met twice during the season, the Frenchmen winning
7-6 in February, but York won the encounter in August by 16-8 and after
finishing ahead of their biggest rivals on the league ladder they were small
favourites with their home advantage to seal the season with a precious win.
It promised to be a nail-biting affair.
The early exchanges were all Toulouse, poking and probing
the York defence and setting out their stall for an attacking afternoon.
First blood was drawn on seven minutes, Jake Shorrocks
kicking a forty-metre penalty goal for Toulouse after a York man tackled after the
pass.
On eleven Paul McShane charged down a Shorrocks kick and
regained possession for York. Two plays later Toa Mata’afa threw a dummy and
went through the gap to score in the corner. Liam Harris dragged his conversion
attempt across the face of the sticks.
Another Shorrocks penalty goal on fifteen levelled the
scores, little to choose between top two sides in a real arm wrestle.
A high shot from Brendan Santi gifted Toulouse another two
points, Shorrocks kicking his third goal of the afternoon.
Hard work for York paid off on forty-nine, Kieran Buchanan
benefitting from a McShane inventive one-two to take the overhead pass and dot
down. The Harris conversion was again
wide, York just two points to the good.
A fourth Toulouse penalty of the game followed a York ball
steal in front of the sticks, Shorrocks good with the boot to again level the
scores with twenty minutes remaining. Four minutes later he added a fifth goal
of the afternoon after a late tackle on the kicker Ashall-Bott. Toulouse still
tryless but back into a two-point lead.
Inside the last five minutes the game was still anyone’s but
Toulouse the favourites to retain their lead and lift the silverware. The clock
ran down to a two point win for the Frenchmen, and desperate disappointment for
the Knights.
Toulouse were victorious to further strengthen their argument
for spending the 2026 season in an expanded Super League despite scoring no
tries they had overcome a battling York side thanks to the boot of Jake
Shorrocks. York will also feel that having finished the regular season in top
spot, and having a suitable stadium, that they should be moving into the topflight
in their own right. Only time will tell if silverware is accompanied by promotion.
York RLFC Knights: Mata’afa (T), Jones-Bishop, Buchanan (T),
Field, Galeano, Hingano, Harris (G 0/2), Martin, McShane, Antrobus, Dee,
Bailey, Thompson. Subs: Cook, Santi, Hudson, Clark. 18th Man:
Richardson.
Toulouse Olympique XIII: Ashall-Bott, Marcon, Tropes, Renne,
Ulberg, Lacans, Shorrocks (G 3/3), Belmas, Hands, Butler, Jussaume, Stefani,
Marion. Subs: Cator, Roumanos, Bretherton, Wallace. 18th Man: Gillam.
Half-Time: 4-6.
Full-Time: 8-10.
Score Progression: 0-2, 4-2, 4-4, 4-6 : HT: 8-6, 8-8, 8-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Toulouse – York – Square – Toulouse – York –
Square - Toulouse.
Referee: Tom Grant.
