Dumas calls for improvement

Inconsistent Toulouse Olympique will search for their second win of the Co-operative Championship campaign on Saturday.

But coach Gilles Dumas knows his men need to show significant improvement from last week’s 34-16 defeat at Sheffield if they are to have any chance of overturning Featherstone Rovers.

Dumas said: “The damage was done in the first half. In the second half we came with the attitude of doing the right things.

“We had good defence and go forward, although it was not perfect.”

Influential import Josh Lewis is expected to return for Olympique after overcoming an ankle injury, but hooker Craig Cook faces two months out with a knee injury.

Rory Bromley (Achilles) is also out, but Bruno Ormeno could recover from a thigh problem in time to face Rovers.

Matty Dale could return to Daryl Powell’s Featherstone squad. Rovers will travel to France on Friday in an effort to acclimatise ahead of Saturday’s game.

Powell said: “Travelling to the south of France over a weekend is very demanding and we have to prepare properly. We have to look after ourselves carefully.”

He added: “Ironically we tend to do well when we go down there. We’ve beaten them the last two times.”