YORK City Knights were unable to end Toulouse Olympique’s 100 per cent home record in a bruising encounter at Stade Ernest Argeles – the French side showing just why they are big favourites to go up from League One.

James Ford’s men were well in the game in the first half especially after Kriss Brining’s superb solo try pulled them level at 6-6.

But they conceded again on half-time and, in the second stanza, Toulouse, a full-time team in a part-time league, a team that beat Championship leaders Leigh in the Challenge Cup this term, simply turned it up a few notches to overpower and overrun their visitors and win 44-6.

A heavy scoreline perhaps but put into perspective by their previous home game – an 82-6 thrashing of Keighley Cougars, whom York end the regular season against next week before the Super 8s kick in and everyone fights for a second promotion place alongside the Frenchmen.

The hosts were at full-strength, with all their big hitters out there, including those four rampant try-scorers who sit pretty in League One’s try charts, pierced in the top echelons of the table only by Brining.

Ford, conversely, was without half a dozen players in addition to the few long-term crocks – Sam Smeaton, Rich Wilkinson, Harry Carter and Matty Dale due to not being able to get the long weekend off work, Brett Waller due to new dad duties, and James Morland due to an eye injury.

He was still able to field a decent line-up, albeit with eyebrows raised at centre, with Andy Smith starting the game having had only 40 minutes of pro rugby in the last three and a half years – last week’s second-half appearance on the wing in the win over minnows Gloucestershire All Golds. The former Bradford Bull has plenty of higher-tier pedigree, of course.

The question of which half-backs Ford would field was answered – all three of them.

Trusted twosome Jonny Presley and Danny Nicklas started, with new boy Harry Tyson-Wilson on the bench.

The plan was to switch Nicklas to loose-forward when bringing on the teenager, Ford trying to surprise the hosts with an extra footballer on the big open field, in the hope initial batterings made holes. In the end he wasn’t able to, as Tyson-Wilson had to fill in at full-back when Ben Dent nobbled off.

The Knights nevertheless threw the ball about early, too, Nicklas having a try rightly disallowed for a knock-on.

But while the hosts made a few early mistakes with the ball, their goal-line defence was excellent.

They gave glimpses of their attacking prowess too, having a half-chance down centrefield and a great chance down the right, Aussie half-back Johnathon Ford spotting extra numbers, but York scrambled well.

The Knights themselves went close, Jack Aldous making the initial break, Pat Smith, Jonny Presley and Ed Smith taking it on well and Austin Buchanan’s inside ball forcing a dropout.

The game remained tight, Brining’s first involvement off the bench being a superb break to take play upfield.

York’s first two mistakes, though, gave Toulouse their first two sets in the red zone, some 25 minutes into the match – and the game’s opening try.

Dent fielded a kick and sprayed a pass wide to Buchanan – but it was forward.

Tommy Saxton saved them on that occasion, forcing Tony Maurel into touch by the flag. Saxton throughout the first half also aided York with his offloads.

But then Adam Robinson knocked on and, this time, second-row Sebastien Planas ran round Nicklas to score.

The league’s runaway top points-scorer, Mark Kheirallah, converted off an upright – his first of six goals to take him over three figures for the season.

York still forged tackles up the other end, but struggled to get a way through to the line, so much so it got a bit panicky when the whitewash came in sight.

Up step Brining.

Russ Spiers’ quick play-the-ball gave him half a chance to get through the defensive line. Not only that, he shrugged off full-back Kheirallah too and got to the whitewash with other defenders rushing back for a stunning solo try. Nicklas converted.

However, a mistake in York’s very next set gave Toulouse the ball again in York territory and tall, creative scrum-half Ford delayed his pass perfectly for Rhys Curran to strike – even if it looked a bit forward – for a 12-6 interval lead.

Ford’s kicking game was also a constant pain for York and in the second half he really showed his class.

The Knights came so close to equalising eight minutes into the second period.

Josh Tonks was halted inches short. Then Nicklas chipped to the right side where Ed Smith caught the ball and put it over the line – but on a double movement.

Then – on the back of a home penalty - came a remarkable finish from big Constantine Mika at the other end. The former Hull KR seemed to be stopped by four men but someone planted the ball over the line.

York had moments earlier lost Dent to a leg injury, forcing Ford to change his Tyson-Wilson plans, only to see the youngster left helpless at the back.

Within a few minutes it became 28-6, winger Minga adding to his season’s tally with two tries, the second showing why the PNG ace is the league’s top scorer.

With York constantly getting stretched and knowing there was no way back, Bastien Canet (2) and Planas added to the home tally before York bravely, and with a bit of fortune, closed the floodgates.

Indeed, when Dent surprisingly re-entered the fray, Tyson-Wilson nearly got on the end of a Presley grubber, but the game was long gone.

MATCH FACTS

Toulouse 44 Knights 6

Toulouse: Kheirallah, Maurel, Ader, White, Minga, Hulme, Ford, Puech, Bentley, Canet, Planas, Curran, Boyer. Subs (all used): Kriouache, Hepi, Lehausa, Mike.

Tries: Planas 28, 64; Curran 40; Mika 51; Minga 53, 55; Canet 61, 70.

Conversions: Kheirallah 28, 40, 51, 53, 61, 64.

Knights: B Dent 7, Saxton 8, E Smith 8, A Smith 7, Buchanan 7, Presley 6, Nicklas 7, Spiers 6, P Smith 6, Aldous 8, Tonks 7, Robinson 6, Emmett 7. Subs (all used): Brining 7, Applegarth 8, Crowther 6, Tyson-Wilson 6.

Tries: Brining 37.

Conversions: Nicklas 37.

Man of the match: Jack Aldous – the captain was his Mr Duracell self for much of the match and as usual was a pain for opponents in the pack both with and without the ball.

Referee: Callum Straw (Wakefield) – good.

Penalty count: 9-7

Weather: bit overcast, bit humid.

Half-time: 12-6

Attendance: 2,873

Moment of the match: If Toulouse are a Championship team in League One, Salford-bound Kriss Brining showed why he will be a Super League player next year with a superb solo try in the first half to get York on the board.

Gaffe of the match: the Knights erred three times in their own half in a tight first stanza, and, while they escaped the first time, they conceded tries on the back of the next two, to trail 12-6 at the break. The second half was always a struggle.

Gamebreaker: three tries in four minutes for Toulouse in the third quarter, all after York full-back Ben Dent was helped off the field injured, took the game away from the Knights, from 12-6 at the break to 28-6, and the match was only going to go one way thereafter.

Match rating: having music blasting throughout the match, including from a brass band in the back row of the main stand, added a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the atmosphere, but the game probably didn’t need it such were the hits and skill on the pitch and natural noise from the fans. Toulouse looked very much a Championship team in League One. York did too - for half a match.