Toulouse 26 Halifax 12: Calland left with work to do after Halifax trip up against Toulouse

Guilty of trying to push the ball in the stiff breeze and pouring rain, missed tackles, poor defensive options, laboured timing on attack which led to a couple of potential tries chalked off for obstruction, and a plethora of dropped passes, the visitors were knocked out of their stride by some determined French tackling.

Toulouse played the conditions well, keeping the ball tight and using their big set of forwards and massive bench to good effect. Tries from Olari, Cook, Ged Corcoran, and Worth, plus five goals from Australian stand-off Darren Nicholls, saw them run out worthy 26-12 winners after enjoying a 14-0 half-time lead.

Halifax by contrast never got the basics right, and their two second-half tries from Worrincy and Penkywicz were probably as much as they deserved.

Dylan Nash tried hard down the right-hand side where he and Rob Worrincy enjoyed a lively battle with Bruno Ormeno and Olari.

Indeed, it was that combination which saw Worrincy gallop away down the wing for Halifax’s opening score early in the second half.

The experienced Holroyd probably deserved more for his intelligent probing and prompting and it was his chip over the defensive line which saw Penkywicz claim the second Halifax touchdown from a 60-metre break.

“The only good news is that we have another game to come this week, but we are going to need a massive improvement,” added Calland.

Notwithstanding the conditions, a completion rate of less than 40 per cent will give Calland and his coaching staff plenty to think about on the training field over the coming days.

Toulouse: Bienes, Olari, Ormeno, Planas, White, Nicholls, Houles, Worth, Cook, Gout, Maria, Tisseyre, Anselme. Substitutes: Corcoran, Wynn, Larroyer, Faure.

Halifax: Greenwood, Worrincy, Nash, Haley, White, Holroyd, Jones, Cherryholme, Beswick, Gannon, Larder, Bannister, Fairbank. Substitutes: Penkywicz, Black, S. Barlow, Ostick.

Referee: T Roby (RFL)