Olly Ashall-Bott on life in the south of France, Toulouse's terrific unbeaten run and getting back to his best...
We’ve hit the heights of summer and Olly Ashall-Bott is living his best life over in the south of France.
The 26-year-old fullback is enjoying an excellent season with Betfred Championship heavyweights, Toulouse Olympique – a team who find themselves undefeated in their last eleven matches.
And with the end of the regular season in sight, the battle for second spot is firmly on the French side’s radar.
Rewind four months ago, and Toulouse had endured a short struggle at the start of the 2024 campaign, uncharacteristically winning just two out of their first six matches. The turnaround since, however, has been rather impressive.
“We had a tough start to the season and the team were struggling,” Ashall-Bott admitted. “But we went back to the basics and had to do what rugby league is all about - running hard and tackling hard.
“We hadn’t been gelling or playing that off-the-cuff rugby style that Toulouse are well known for. But over the past couple of weeks, we’ve all come together, and that Wakefield game was a prime example of us truly coming together and putting in a good performance.”
2024 is the year of Olly Ashall-Bott’s first proper taste of Championship rugby league, following an injury-hit 2023 season and having predominantly played in the top tier of Super League prior.
“The easier game you think you have, the harder the game actually is in the Championship, and you’re in for a tougher day.
“I’ve never really played in the Championship competition properly up until this year but going to the different stadiums and places you’ve never been before; you soon find that teams can turn you over on any day.
"It’s a good challenge."
Opening up about a difficult 2023, Ashall-Bott shared how these experiences made him all the more determined to bounce back for the current season, and how he made a remarkably quick return to playing the sport:
“I had a bit of a whirlwind season last year,” Ashall-Bott said. “I’d started off pretty well and then it all ended in one day. I played against Widnes, my hometown club, and sustained an ACL injury. I thought my season was over.
“Last year, I set myself a challenge of getting back and helping the team back to Super League. And I nearly did that – I came back five and a half months after an ACL, which I think is unheard of.
“I then had a few problems injury wise which meant I couldn’t quite finish off the season how I would have liked. So I since said to myself that next year [2024] is going to be my year, and I want to be playing at the top standard of rugby league.”
Ashall-Bott has appeared eleven times for Toulouse this year - first appearing in Round 5 against Whitehaven. And interestingly, Sylvain Houles’ men have not lost a game while their Widnes-born playmaker has been present.
Evidently an influential figure in the side, Ashall-Bott has contributed six tries so far in 2024, as he works on being the best he can be.
He insisted, however, that Toulouse’s perfect performances are not just to do with him, but have everything to do with the collectiveness and talent of the playing group:
“Maybe it’s nice to have me back in the team and it gives the lads a boost, but I’m just happy to be back playing and doing what I do best, which is playing rugby league.”
“Me personally, I do a lot of video with our defensive coach. I put a lot of emphasis on my defence as it’s something I’ve wanted to concentrate on the most.
“Other parts of my game can be strong when I’m on, but my defence had let me down a bit with my numbers and organising the line, so I really wanted to focus on nailing it while I was injured.”
And the defensive work has certainly paid off as Toulouse recently enjoyed a three-week spell of keeping their opponents scoreless in Rounds 11-13 - with convincing victories over Doncaster, Batley and Featherstone.
“Those three games just epitomised the team. We set ourselves challenges every week - to make metres, to defend our try line, and to not concede too many points.
“To have that hat-trick of nilling teams – especially Batley. Not many people can go to Batley and do that, so we pride ourselves on that.
“And keeping Wakefield to four points in Round 16 – I don’t think you’ll see that again. That’s something we’ve really worked on as a team.”
Arguably, Toulouse’s biggest win did come when they faced a then unbeaten Wakefield last month. With home advantage in their favour, the French outfit produced a truly stunning performance to consign Daryl Powell’s men to a 34-4 defeat, in what was also Wakefield’s first of the season.
The Toulouse players 1-13 were outstanding, with Ashall-Bott also pulling off an individual performance of the season as he completed an incredible hat-trick against the table-topping favourites.
For Ashall-Bott, who undoubtedly starred on that Sunday afternoon, he always relishes the chance to test against the top sides:
“We went into that game with no fear.
“We’d played them at the start of the year away, and I think we had them at times – it was close game in parts. We had quite a few players missing back then and I think we all came together at home this time around and we came up with that performance.
“Everyone was buzzing, and I don’t think we were the favourites going into that game either. We’d said that there wasn’t any pressure on us, and that it was all on Wakefield.
“We wanted to prove a point and make a statement to the whole of rugby league that Toulouse as a club are moving forward, the fan base is forever growing and it’s just a great place to be.”
But having proven they can beat the team at the top - and comfortably too, is there now pressure on the French side to continue their mammoth winning streak?
“Everyone always expects us to win. The Championship is such a weird competition because you go to places you’ve never been to before and you’re playing against some really good teams – a lot of teams who have been together for years.
“We’ve had a different team and spine for a few years now. We’ve always had a target on our back and in every game we will.
“But we take that as a challenge.”
France has become a forever home for Ashall-Bott over the past three years and life is so good that he often has to pinch himself. He is sure about one thing though – and that’s how hot the weather is!
“I remember playing here [Stade Ernest-Wallon] two years ago with Huddersfield before I signed. I turned up to the stadium and I thought ‘this is incredible!’ and that was at the start of the year, so it wasn’t even at its hottest yet either! It was still hot for an English lad like me though!
“Toulouse has a great stadium and every time we turn up for work, it’s like ‘are we really playing here?’ Other players from the other teams come over here and are taking pictures and videos on their phone and I just think, well this is my home ground every other week.
“It’s pretty special. Playing in this heat isn’t so special – it was 38 degrees last Saturday while we’re playing! But the referee did give us a few water breaks, so it was fine.
“Nothing can get you ready for playing in this heat!”
But the French lifestyle is the dream for Ashall-Bott, and what a journey it has been along the way...
“I love it over here. I always say this to my friends back home and the lads over here that I never want to move back to England if I’m honest.
“I’m pretty happy as I am over here. I moved over here with my dog Marlo, and he’s adapted to the French life and he loves it here. We’ve plenty to do and plenty to see, and he’s got plenty of water to jump in!
“The lads are all good too – when I first moved here, I did think about the language barrier, but everyone’s great.
“I’m loving life here and I’ve got another two years after this year as well, so I don’t really want it to end.
“I went through all the ranks at Widnes and I loved my time there and everybody there. I know most of the lads and that’s why I always love playing against Widnes. But I didn’t have Widnes then, then I wouldn’t have had anything now.
“Ian Watson was the one who saw that I was capable of playing Super League, so I owe a lot to him. When Huddersfield played against Toulouse, I came off the bench, and Sylvain Houles saw something in me.
“The next week I was playing in a Toulouse shirt.
“It’s been a bit crazy but Rugby League takes you to some crazy places and I never thought I would end up here, but here I am.”
With nine games left to play until the Play-Offs, Ashall-Bott is keen on taking each week as it comes, as he looked back on Toulouse’s agonising Championship Grand Final defeat against London Broncos last year:
“If I’m honest, we’ve not even spoken about the Play-Offs or the end result, it’s all about week to week. We just need to keep a hold of that second spot and if can do that and get a semi-final home fixture, then anything can happen.
“You only have to look at happened with London. They finished fifth and then ended up beating at us home in the final game of the season. We could not believe that at all.”
Finally, for himself personally, Ashall-Bott has set the goal of being the best player he possibly can be, and taking in every moment as it comes:
“I feel like I’m nowhere near where I want to be. When I was playing in Super League, I think I was playing my best rugby then.
“Coming off the back of an ACL injury, it can take a lot of time to really get into the groove of things again. I feel like I’m slowly getting there, but there’s definitely still more I can show and do. I got a taste of what I can do against Wakefield.
“I’m just taking it week to week. I’m here for the next few years and then I’d like to say I’d sign again – but you never know what can happen!”
Tickets are still available for Swinton v Toulouse’s Round 18 clash. Fans can purchase tickets online from Swinton Lions' official club website.
The full fixture list for the Betfred Championship can be found here.
A full Betfred Championship Round 18 Preview can be found here.
Photo Credit: Toulouse Olympique
