Hull raisers
McINTOSH SPARKS ROUT
HULL FC stars Darnell McIntosh and Connor Wynne were forced to share the match ball after scoring hat-tricks apiece in a dominant win over hapless Toulouse Olympique.
The duo played on either flank but raced in for trebles as the Black and Whites stormed to a nine-try victory at the expense of the French outfit who are now four points adrift at the bottom of the Super League.
Brett Hodgson’s Black and Whites now sit fourth in the table after a promising start to the season, with this win being all the more impressive given they did it without having a recognised half-back in the team.
Suspensions and an injury to Ben McNamara forced hookers Joe Lovodua and Jordan Johnstone to operate in the halves.
Hodgson said: “It was a professional performance. We
knew they would have a go, they’re extremely physical and we knew we’d be in a game, there will be a few sore bodies on both sides.” Toulouse took the lead on 12 minutes when Junior Vaivai reacted first to a kick in-goal. But 26 points in 18 first-half minutes saw the hosts storm ahead. McIntosh was first to score with an acrobatic finish before Wynne got in on the act with a scorching effort on the other wing. Lovodua was the next to go over before FC’s hat-trick heroes bagged braces within four minutes of each other before the interval. Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles said Super League officials should consider an exemption to protect his side from relegation. He said: “Any good businessman will see with France and the World Cup in 2025, they’ll have the vision to give us the exemption.”