THESE are stormy days for York City Knights – but when the thunder and lightning was literally at its worst, Dave Woods’ men came out fighting.

France might be famous for La Resistance but the Knights gave one of their own as they held on to win 16-10 away to Toulouse amid a breathtaking electrical storm to prove some doubters wrong and alleviate the pressure that is mounting on the Aussie and his troops.

It was their first win of the Co-operative Championship season and saw them leapfrog their hosts off the bottom of the table.

The York fans who holidayed in south west France to take in this game might have expected the worst just three days after the Knights crashed 50-12 to Hunslet, which followed the league record defeat at Widnes. They would probably have expected glorious spring sunshine too.

But neither happened, as storm clouds lifted over the Knights just as they descended in quite stunning fashion over Toulouse’s Stade des Minimes.

Beleaguered boss Woods was without a host of players due to injury or unavailability, Ryan Esders and newcomer Mark Castle the latest to drop out as they could not make the flight.

Back into the 17 came Danny Wilson on the wing, with Lee Waterman switching inside to centre, and Tom Bush on the bench – coming on at full-back after 35 minutes when Chris Thorman did a spell at hooker. Bush gave his best display in a Knights shirt.

An additional reshuffle saw Duane Straugheir and Matt Garside swap their centre and second-row berths respectively, with Straugheir tried for the first time in the pack, and Steve Lewis dropped to the bench with Mark Barlow coming in at loose-forward.

Toulouse were known for the size of their forwards, and this was not York’s biggest pack, and the signs looked ominous when the hosts had a certain try ruled out by a forward pass in only the first minute.

However, ultimately, Woods’ changes paid off, with York going ahead just a minute-and-a-half after Toulouse’s early chance.

Thorman joined the line from full-back and a little left-foot grubber kick was lost by former Hull KR threequarter Damien Couturier – Waterman plucking it out of the air and diving over the line.

Questions have been raised recently about York’s team spirit but they were answered early on – and indeed throughout – by the backslapping and cheering that met any forced error from Toulouse or good play from team-mates.

Then in a fine attack, Thorman’s reverse pass saw Rhys Clarke go close, and Jack Lee dug over from dummy-half on the last tackle.

York had begun well against the Hawks only to fade after ten minutes. Their first handling error this time came in the 18th minute, Clarke losing the ball in a gang tackle on half-way. Three minutes later, Benn Hardcastle dropped the ball ten yards out.

But both times Toulouse soon messed up too, although York failed to make the most of their territory, as Waterman and his winger, Dave Sutton, failed to execute a short-side play when a chance arose.

York’s resolve was tested when three penalties gave Olympique their first spell of pressure heading towards the half-hour mark, with umpteen tackles on the Knights’ line.

Unlike against Hunslet and Widnes, the defence was immense.

However, when it looked like the pressure had been averted, a fumble on his own line by Waterman, who looked sure to field a kick, allowed Sebastien Planas to scoot over. Darren Nicholls missed the easy conversion.

Forget the recent thrashings, the Knights faced their biggest barrage of the season here when an almighty thunder storm blew giant clumps of hail in their faces as Toulouse increased the pressure. It seemed the gods, too, were against them.

They survived until the half-time hooter, but still had to leg it through the hail blizzard into the changing rooms, while Olympique had a quick getaway to their sheds at the other end of the ground.

The severity of the lightning storm meant the second half was delayed by 20 minutes.

York began it on top and made it 10-4 with a penalty for offside, Hardcastle having taken over the goalkicking duties after Thorman’s two missed conversions.

Then a fine cut-out pass from Hardcastle saw Clarke splash over the line as the heavens opened again.

York were forcing errors but Toulouse fought back in the rain and Nicholls cut the deficit when getting on the end of a Constant Villegas kick, Couturier goaling.

Players were slip-sliding everywhere and, just as another crack of thunder sounded, Toulouse thought they had scored again as Antoni Maria took the ball close in – but Garside knocked the ball out of his grasp.

York should have put the sodden ball up their jumper but Thorman tried a flat pass to Steve Lewis on half-way and it was put down – before another storm arose on the pitch as players got involved in a brawl after a Toulouse error.

Rival props Brett Waller and Brendan Worth were sent off – and Toulouse were awarded a penalty 30 metres out. But, as the pressure mounted, home winger Sebastien Payan was tackled into touch by Sutton and Waterman.

Then a counter attack deep into stoppage time gave Toulouse another chance, but Bush chased back to knock the ball dead.

Match facts

Toulouse: White, Payan, Planas, Ormeno, Couturier, Nicholls, Villegas, Worth, Gigot, Corcoran, Wynn, Maria, Anselme.

Subs (all used): Gout, Faure, Tisseyre, Houles.

Tries: Planas 32; Nicholls 64.

Conversions: Couturier 64.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: Worth 75.

Knights: Thorman 7, Sutton 7, Garside 7, Waterman 7, Wilson 8, Hardcastle 7, Presley 6, Freer 8, Lee 7, Benson 7, Clarke 7, Straugheir 8, Barlow 7.

Subs (all used): Stearman 7, Waller 6, Lewis 7, Bush 7.

Tries: Waterman 3; Lee 9; Clarke 54.

Conversions: Hardcastle 54.

Penalties: Hardcastle 43.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: Waller 75.

Man of the match: Nathan Freer – a huge stint from the big prop epitomised York’s desire in the first quarter, and he carried it on throughout all his time on the pitch.

Referee: Warren Turley (Leigh) – good.

Penalty count: 7-8.

Attendance: 650.

Half-time: 4-8.

Weather: bright sunshine to start – but an almighty thunder storm, with gales and huge clumps of hail, came just before half-time, with rain and lightning lasting throughout the second half.

Moment of the match: just the victory under the thunderstorm, which was so severe the sound of the hail on the stand’s roof was almost deafening.

Gaffe of the match: the decision to water the pitch before kick-off – the surface was splish-splash sodden when the second half, delayed by the storm, finally started.

Gamebreaker: York’s desire to hold on to the win they deserved as Toulouse threatened an equaliser.

Match rating: stormy stuff and superb for the Knights fans.