The top two sides in the Championship took the field to play out the final game of the domestic season as they met in the Play-off final to determine the top side in the competition.
IMG and the RFL were praying for a Wakefield win to ensure that the winners would replace the London Broncos in the top flight next season while the mischievous neutrals were hoping for a Toulouse win to ‘put the cat amongst the pigeons’.
The bookies strongly fancied Trinity for the win.
There was little to choose between the two sides in the opening exchanges.
A Toulouse mistake led to the opening score after they spilled the ball in the tackle. On the third tackle out the ball was moved quickly to the left with Max Jowitt putting Derrell Olpherts free to cross in the left corner. Jowitt added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
On twenty five the lead was doubled when Matty Ashurst took an inside pass from Jowitt, juggled the ball, and regained to slide in for the second try of the game. Jowitt added the conversion for 12-0.
On thirty two Jermaine McGillvary capped his final game with a try when he took an Isaiah Vagana pass to round his opposing winger and come in field to ground. Jowitt added the conversion for 18-0, trinity now in total control.
Two minutes from the interval, Iain Thornley joined the try scorers as he took a Mason Lino pass after Luke Gale had bamboozled the Toulouse defence. Jowitt missed his first conversion of the game, hitting the upright, Trinity with a 22-0 lead at the interval.
It was a brighter start to the second half from Toulouse but on fifty-seven the ensured the win as Guy Armitage missed the tackle allowing Thomas Doyle through the line to find Olli Pratt to cross in space and score down the left side. Jowitt was unable to add the extra from wide but it would not matter in the final analysis.
Toulouse were visibly tiring when a Gale chip over the defence was collected and grounded by Olpherts, for his second of the night. With Jowitt off the field for a head impact assessment, Gale attempted the touch line conversion but put his kick wide.
The final act of the game, and McGillvary’s career, saw the Trinity winger take a looping Lino pass to slide in at the corner for the sixth try of the night. McGillvary was handed the ball and the kicking tee and miraculously added the conversion from the touchline to round off a comprehensive win for Daryl Powell men.
There will be delight at headquarters for the Trinity win as the top side in the division secured promotion in the place of the bottom side in Super League. Trinity have had a sensational season and no one can deny that they have merited their success. Super League will benefit from their inclusion next season, as is now almost certainly going to be the case pending the relevant paperwork, they were far too good for the Championship.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt (3/5 G), McGillvary (2T, 1/1 G), Thornley, Pratt (T), Olpherts (2T), Gale (0/1 G), Lino, Bowden, Hood, Antoni, Ashurst (T), Vagana, Pitts. Subs: Walmsley, Uele, Rowell, Doyle. 18th Man:.
Toulouse Olympic XIII: Ashall-Bott, Laguerre, Marcon, Armitage, Ulberg, Rivett, Horrocks, Belmas, Gahan, Hansen, Stefani, Peyroux, Marion. Subs: Pelissier, Roumanos, Biscarro, Rennie. 18th Man:.
Half-Time: 22-0.
Full-Time: 36-0.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 22-0 : HT: 26-0, 30-0, 34-0, 36-0 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wakefield.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
