​St Helens slipped out of the Super League top six after a stunning home defeat to a buoyant Toulouse side, who ran in an eight-try masterclass at the BrewDog Stadium. The result left Saints reeling as they oversaw a bruising setback just one week after their costly loss to rivals Wigan Warriors. Compounding their woes, five of the six starting forwards from that Wigan clash were sidelined through injury, and academy products Matty Evans and Chris Matagi were handed senior debuts to try to stem the tide.
Toulouse arrived off a points explosion against Catalans Dragons in the French derby, and they delivered once again, producing a scintillating performance that delighted their supporters and drew boos from the home crowd as the final hooter sounded on a game that had swung decisively in their favour. Mathieu Jussaume led the way with a hat-trick, but it was full-back Olly Ashall-Bott who stole the show, creating five tries and repeatedly carving open the Saints’ defence with pace, footwork, and vision.
That latest win over Catalans had ended a dreary run of three defeats, and Toulouse carried that momentum into this fixture. Two successive wins have lifted them four places to ninth and, with this display, they looked the more dangerous and cohesive team on the night, the first opponent to shut Saints out at home in the Super League era. Their rhythm and attacking thrust proved too much for St Helens from the outset, and the hosts found themselves in trouble as the French outfit dictated terms with high-intensity pressure and slick handling.
St Helens’ problems were evident from the kick-off, their pack weakened by injuries and their defense repeatedly caught off guard by the visitors’ movement. The game’s opening score came early as Saints conceded a costly error inside their own 20 metres; Jussaume pounced to claim the first of his three tries. He added a second following a telling break from Ashall-Bott, and Jake Shorrocks was on hand to convert both efforts and add a penalty to stretch the lead.
Saints’ discipline will have raised questions as Shorrocks extended the advantage with another successful kick after Saints conceded a penalty for an off-the-ball shoulder barge on Brendan Hands, an incident that highlighted the hosts’ escalating frustration. The误ed indiscipline continued and Ashall-Bott’s clever kicking ball catching antics produced another setback, with a third successful strike from Shorrocks putting Saints 20 points adrift at the break.
The second half did little to improve Saints’ fortunes. Toulouse continued to defend superbly while pressing as a unit and then struck again through Ashall-Bott, who showed patience and footwork to split the Saints’ defence before sending in Tiaki Chan on the left for a stylish finish that drove the visitors’ advantage further home and firmly dampened any Saints’ comeback ambitions.
A knee injury to Owen Dagnall compounded Saints’ misery, and the visitors surged forward again as a high kick from Shorrocks bounced awkwardly for the Saints under the midsummer heat. Ashall-Bott exploited the loose ball, delivering a clever pass over the top for winger Paul Ulberg to touch down, and the momentum swung decisively in Toulouse’s favour.
The visitors were not done, pressing again as Chan dashed down the blindside to create space for Romeo Tropis to touch down, Clemency against Saint Helens defending. Ashall-Bott continued to strike with precision, producing a deft sequence that allowed Jussaume to complete his hat-trick and give Toulouse their eighth try of the night. Benjamin Laguerre added a late score to cap a remarkable performance.
The scoreline reflected the hosts’ capitulation more than any absence of effort. Saints, already short on personnel and momentum, were unable to match Toulouse’s tempo or execution. The outcome left St Helens in seventh place, below Leigh Leopards, and prompted questions about what changes might be required to arrest their slides and rekindle their forward strength and attacking cohesion.
St Helens: Welsby, Dagnall, Robertson, McDade, and a lineup disrupted by injury and turnover, with replacements stepping up as best they could in a game that exposed vulnerabilities across multiple areas. Toulouse’s performance suggested a bright future for Paul Rowley’s side as they build on this dominant display, while Saints must regroup quickly if they are to defend their status in the top six and recapture the form that had once made them a consistent title contender.