Toulouse 28-29 Wigan: Heartbreak for French side as Harry Smith kicks late drop-goal

Wigan had to battle all the way to win the first game of their mini Tour de France, coming from 18-10 behind to scrape to victory in Toulouse via a last-minute Harry Smith drop goal.

Coach Matt Peet’s 10-day trip taking in both French Super League fixtures almost got off to a horror start as the competition’s bottom club raced to a shock half-time lead – but a late recovery by the Warriors, with tries from Liam Marshall and Jai Field before Smith’s late strike, saw the tourists salvage the points.

Warriors full-back Field was first to score, skipping too easily through the Toulouse defence from 40 metres out and strolling under the posts in the fourth minute.

Five minutes later the ball was spun left to Zak Hardaker who crossed in the corner.

Toulouse lost scrum-half Lucas Albert to a head injury, allowing Warrington loanee Ellis Robson to make his debut from the bench, and the Olympians went close when winger Paul Marcon was bundled into touch at the right corner flag.

But the Wigan line broke when Tony Gigot launched a bomb into the same corner and Guy Armitage mopped up the loose ball to score.

Then another Gigot kick caused chaos in the same corner, Hardaker palming the ball into Maxime Stefani’s hand, and he forced his way over the line with Chris Hankinson converting to level the scores at 10-10 on the half-hour.

Albert returned from his head injury assessment to kick behind the sticks for Gigot to collect and score, putting Toulouse ahead for the first time in their Super League history.

Then Gigot and Eloi Pelissier each cheekily slotted drop-goals just before half-time to make it 18-10 at the break.

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HT: Toulouse 18-10 Wigan

Wigan piled on the pressure early in the second half and stand-off Cade Cust dribbled over the line from short range, Hardaker adding the conversion to make it 18-16.

But back came Toulouse with a sweeping passing move to the left where Matty Russell finished in the corner, too wide for Hankinson to convert.

Gigot’s 40/20 kick then created the field position for Armitage to crash over, Hankinson’s conversion pushing the lead to 28-16.

Wigan were not done and winger Marshall scraped in at the right corner for a try on his 100th appearance for the Warriors.

Then Field struck in the opposite corner and Hardaker levelled the scores with a touchline conversion with just seven minutes left.

Toulouse thought they had won it when Marcon was bundled into touch at the corner flag moments later, then Wigan knocked on in front of their posts and Gigot went for the drop goal.

It was charged down by Joe Shorrocks and he raced to the other end of the pitch, where Hardaker missed his attempt at a field goal but Harry Smith was on target.

FT: Toulouse 28-29 Wigan

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