Toulouse Olympique XIII v London Broncos – Saturday, June 17 (3.30pm)
Toulouse Olympique XIII and London Broncos are both enjoying impressive form with only five points difference between them in second and third place in the Kingstone Press Championship table.
The French side have not been beaten at home during the 2017 season and London Broncos are currently eight consecutive games without a loss.
Last weekend, Toulouse produced another impressive home performance and defeated Rochdale Hornets 56-16. Coach Sylvain Houles said, “We were very pleased with how the team reacted and played against Rochdale.
“We found some good opportunities in their defence and exploited them pretty well.
“I did think that we lacked a little bit of energy but the heat played a part in that, the boys found it very, very hot out there.
“There’s a big heatwave at the moment over here and that isn’t going to change ahead of this weekend’s game against London.
Les Olympiens se préparent pour le choc de Samedi (17/06) face à Londres. Coup d'envoi 15h30 à Blagnac. #GoTo #CAPITOLEvsCAPITALE ðŸ”µâšªï¸ pic.twitter.com/dQKYqz6ahS
— Toulouse Olympique (@TOXIII) June 15, 2017
“It’s going to be a game where it’s important to dig deep, show some character and mental toughness.
“I think that will play a big part in the game because of the circumstances.
“It’s a big game in terms of looking at the table but we’re going to approach it a bit differently and probably make a few changes.
“We’ve looked at different aspects of our game that we need to improve and things that have let us down in recent weeks.
“The boys are very focused and excited because it’s going to be a big occasion. We’ll do everything we can to come away with the points.”
Last weekend, London Broncos continued their current form with a 52-6 win against Dewsbury Rams. Coach Andrew Henderson said, “It was a decent performance again, I was pleased with what we produce. We were very, very good in the first half but we dropped off a little at points in the second half.
“At the moment we’re in a good place as a team, we’ve got a good group of players who are playing very well individually and collectively as a team.
“I’m in a luxurious position where I’ve got 21 players fighting for positions that are all as good as each other. Whoever plays on any given weekend are not letting themselves or the team down either.
“I’m happy with the brand of rugby we’re playing and how we’re defending as well. We’re not conceding a lot of points yet we’re scoring a lot of points.
“I’m just pleased that the team is delivering the standards that we expect at the Broncos but they’ve also got the chemistry and understanding of what we’re trying to do and executing it really well.”
Henderson is hoping the team can continue their good form this weekend when they travel to France to face Toulouse. He continued, “It’s an important game, both of us are sitting on the same points in the table and second place is up for grabs.
“We’re very determined as a group to go there and get something out of the game. They’re yet to be beaten in the Championship at home so we want to go there and write some history this week.
📋 TEAM: @AHendo09's named his 19 to take on the as yet unbeaten at home, @TOXIII 👉 https://t.co/ICgAgfm3dM
— London Broncos RL (@LondonBroncosRL) June 15, 2017
🇬🇧 v 🇫🇷#WeAreLondon 🴠pic.twitter.com/y9PjQSH0Dm
“We understand the challenges that will face us though, not only travelling to France but the threats that Toulouse present on the field. They’re a very good footballing team and Sylvain Houles needs to be given some credit for how he’s developed his team over the last few years and how they’ve progresses.
“They’ve been a breath of fresh air to play in the Championship. They’re a very attack minded team so we’re certainly going to have to be very good defensively this week because we will be tested.
“I have every confidence and faith in the players that will be selected to deliver a strong performance and hope they’ll be good enough to get the two points for us.”
Across the rest of this weekend’s Kingstone Press Championship fixtures, Halifax RLFC will be looking to build on their 54-0 win against Sheffield Eagles when they travel to face Oldham RLFC.
Hull Kingston Rovers take on Dewsbury Rams and Batley Bulldogs welcome Sheffield Eagles.
Bradford Bulls will be searching for a vital two points when they travel to Spotland Stadium to take on Rochdale Hornets.
All fixtures unless stated will kick off at 3.00pm on Sunday, June 18.
*Featherstone Rovers v Swinton Lions will be played on Wednesday, June 21 (8.00pm). This is due to Featherstone’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup quarter final game against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley on Friday, June 16 (8.00pm)
