Round 3 of the Betfred Championship had some surprises at the weekend, with wins on the road for five teams and two triumphing at home.
Toulouse’s home opener at Stade Ernest Walloon ended in defeat as Swinton Lions emerged victorious in France on Saturday.
The Lions had built up a 4-14 at half-time lead with tries from Rhys Williams, Josh, Eaves and Jordan Gibson, before continuing to stun the home crowd with another try six minutes into the second half, as Richard Lepori dived in at the corner.
It was too little too late for Toulouse, who did attempt a late comeback with two quick fire tries in the last ten minutes - Reubenn Rennie in the corner and Jake Shorrocks going over. But this was not enough to overcome a fantastic Swinton Lions performance.
Whitehaven were at home to Sheffield Eagles, as two unbeaten sides went head-to-head at the LEL Arena. There was a close contest in the first forty, but four tries inside a ten-minute spell in the second half would allow the Eagles to run riot on Sunday afternoon.
Racking up a total of seven tries with Anthony Thackery converting all seven, Mark Aston’s men continued their unbeaten start, and consigned Haven to their first defeat of the 2024 season.
And there was more action over in Cumbria as Barrow were on the right end of a narrow score-line this weekend, with a thrilling victory over last year’s Play-Off contenders York Knights.
The Raiders had suffered heart-break in the Cumbrian derby on Good Friday and would find themselves with more drop goal drama to endure in Round 3.
It had been a tight affair before the break and Barrow came from behind in the 75th minute as Luke Cresswell dummied and went under the posts – bringing the scores level heading into the closing stages.
Brad Walker then became a hometown hero, slotting a drop goal over one minute from time to clinch their first win in what was a nail-biting finish, and inflict their own drop goal defeat.
This leaves York still searching for their first win of 2024, as they prepare to face a currently unbeaten Wakefield Trinity in Round 4.
Batley Bulldogs are also still without a win, after losing out to Halifax 18-10. Despite another valiant effort, this was not enough to beat a strong ‘Fax at The Shay.
Also in West Yorkshire, Bradford Bulls secured a memorable away win at Featherstone Rovers for the first time since 2015.
Two of the Championship's heavyweights faced off in a bruising battle, where the Bulls built a 10-0 lead up as Connor Carr and Kieran Gill touched down, before the hosts hit straight back through Connor Jones and Paul Turner - who reached out to score for his first try in Fev colours.
The scores were levelled but this was short lived, as two back-to-back tries from Carr, who crossed for his second, and Chester Butler sealed it for the visitors.
Elsewhere, Widnes Vikings maintained their 100% winning start with a 6-24 victory away at Dewsbury Rams.
And at the Eco-Power Stadium in South Yorkshire, Richard Horne's spirited Dons welcomed Wakefield Trinity. In what was a scrappy affair at times, Luke Gale became the star of the show, going over for a hat-trick which contributed to a comfortable 6-42 win on the road for Trinity, who move to the top of the Championship table after three regular rounds.
Betfred Championship Round 3 results:
Toulouse Olympique 14 Swinton Lions 20
Doncaster RLFC 6 Wakefield Trinity 42
Whitehaven RLFC 16 Sheffield Eagles 42
Barrow Raiders 15 York Knights 14
Halifax Panthers 18 Batley Bulldogs 10
Featherstone Rovers 14 Bradford Bulls 24
Dewsbury Rams 6 Widnes Vikings 24
The full fixture list for the Betfred Championship and all of the relevant information and kick-off times can be found here.
Photo Credit: Wakefield Trinity
