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Betfred Super League

St Helens (0) 0

Toulouse (20) 46

Tries: Jussaume 3, O’Kane, Chan, Ulberg, Tropis, Laguerre Goals: Shorrocks 7

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St Helens slipped out of the Super League top six with a stunning home defeat by buoyant Toulouse.

Paul Rowley’s side paid a heavy price for last week’s bruising loss against rivals Wigan Warriors, with five of their six starting forwards from that game missing because of injury. Academy products Matty Evans and Chris Matagi were handed senior debuts.

Toulouse went into the game after putting 60 points past Catalans Dragons in the French derby. They showed that was no one-off display, producing a scintillating eight-try performance that led to boos from the fans at the BrewDog Stadium at the final hooter.

Mathieu Jussaume led the way with a hat-trick, but it was full-back Olly Ashall-Bott who really caught the eye with a masterclass, creating five tries.

The impressive win against Catalans ended a run of three straight defeats for Toulouse. With two consecutive victories now, they have lifted themselves four places to ninth.

They now look like a formidable outfit, becoming the first team to keep Saints down to nil on their home turf in the Super League era.

Saints were in disarray from the start, their weakened pack struggling to contain the rampant French outfit and the dancing feet and sharp hands of Ashall-Bott, while they added to their troubles with a series of unforced errors.

The first came when they dropped the ball inside their own 20 and Jussaume took advantage to open the scoring, and he then added his second after Ashall-Bott had made a telling break.

Jake Shorrocks converted both and added a penalty, and Saints looked up against it, their frustration showing as Daniel Suluka-Fifita was placed on report for an off-the-ball shoulder barge on Brendan Hands.

Shorrocks took advantage of more indiscipline by kicking another penalty, and when Ashall-Bott’s tricky kick took a nasty bounce past Owen Dagnall, Henry O’Kane made it a 20-point gap at half-time.

Saints tried to respond in the fierce heat, but Toulouse defended superbly and then struck again, Ashall-Bott wriggling through a gap and then sending over Wigan loanee Tiaki Chan for a try that really rubbed salt into Saints’ wounds.

A knee injury to Owen Dagnall piled on the misery for Rowley’s team, and when three Saints defenders watched a Shorrocks high kick bounce, Toulouse pounced again, with Ashall-Bott’s slick pass over the top giving winger Paul Ulberg an easy finish.

The visitors were hungry for more as Saints seemed to give up, with Chan dashing down the blindside to send Romeo Tropis over for another, before more Ashall-Bott magic freed Jussaume for his third, and Benjamin Laguerre added a late eighth try.

The margin of defeat meant Saints dropped below Leigh Leopards into seventh place.

St Helens coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“Embarrassing from start to finish. It’s what’s between the ears, attitude-wise. It’s non-negotiable in sport – to play with the right attitude and effort doesn’t require talent, and there was a lack of effort at times.

“I could go on and on, but a lot of that will remain indoors. I have to acknowledge it for our supporters. I can’t ignore it and pretend anything other than that, but it will run a lot deeper than that, I can assure you.

“Fifteen players out is real. However, to get to that arena, you have to have a certain level of professionalism, desire, and care.

“The Saints badge connects the group and should bring the best out of everybody because there’s an expectation and a history. We have to uphold that level of pride in the shirt, and that hurts.

“I feel sorry for the young kids on their debut because that wasn’t a good experience in terms of getting a performance or a result.”

St Helens: Welsby; Dagnall, Robertson, McDonald, Douglas; Sailor, Hastings;Host, Burns, Suluka-Fifita, Cartwright, Davies, Shorrocks

Interchanges: Sironen, Humphreys, Evans, Matagi

Toulouse: Ashall-Bott; Laguerre, Polselli, Tropis, Ulberg; Lacans, Shorrocks; Roumanos, Hands, Butler, O’Kane, Jussaume, Cator.

Interchanges: Marion, Chan, Toleafoa, Grossemy.

Referee: Aaron Moore.