Sundays second Summer Bash game was the archetypal four pointer as Toulouse Olympique XIII took on Halifax. The sides are currently sitting either side of the dividing line, level on twenty points and separated only by points difference.

A win for Toulouse would see them up to second in the table but a loss would see Halifax jump over them into the top four and demote them out of their Super Eights Middle Eight position.

It was the Summer Bashes most crucial game in terms of league position and could go a long way to settling determining which sides supporters would be celebrating come the split.

Just two minutes into the game Kane Bentley went from dummy half, lost his footing but managed to stretch out and ground the ball. Mark Kheirallah slotted over the extras and the French side had the perfect start to settle the nerves.

On six minutes a simple try from a flying Tony Maurel saw him ground by the right corner flag. Kheirallah failed to add the conversion from the touchline but Halifax were putting up little opposition to a free flowing Toulouse in the early stages.

A Rob Worrincy break advanced Halifax downfield on nineteen, and from the next play they kept the ball alive for Steve Tyrer to collect a touch pass from Simon Grix through the fingers of Ben Johnstone to run over in the corner. Tyrer converted his own try from the touchline for 6-10.

Four minutes later and Maurel got his second as he collected a precision kick from Kheirallah in the goal area to ground. The Toulouse full back hit the far upright for the second time, the ball bouncing the wrong side of the crossbar.

Three minutes before the interval Rhys Curran took a Kheirallah flat pass to push two tacklers over the line and stretch down to score. Kheirallah pushed his kick wide of the far upright for an 18-6 lead. After stopping what looked like a certain Toulouse intercept try, Halifax left hands in the tackle a little too long and Kheirallah kicked the penalty to send his side into the break with a deserved 20-6 lead.

Halifax were first to score in the second half when Tyrer picked up a grubber kick from Ben Johnstone to slide over. Tyrer was again accurate with the boot to reduce the margin to eight points. But there was a hammer blow on fifty when just after Halifax had lost the ball in the act of scoring, Curran went forty metres for his second of the afternoon. Kheirallah kicked the conversion for 26-12.

Toulouse edged closer to the win when just after the hour Anthony Marion picked up a grubber to spin on the spot and ground the ball under the sticks giving Kheirallah a simple conversion for 32-12.

After multiple sets on the Toulouse line Rob Worrincy finally managed to breach the defence and crash over the line for Halifax’s third try of the afternoon. Tyrer failed to add the conversion and with under ten minutes to play the Eagles were sixteen points adrift.

On seventy-four James Woodburn-Hall took full advantage when Toulouse failed to deal with a kick through and the ‘Fax centre got his hand on the ball in the goal area. Tyrer added the extras and the margin was down to ten, but Halifax were running out of time.

It was a much better second half for Halifax but the lead that Toulouse established in the opening forty was enough to get them home and pick up the crucial two points. The French team are now up to second place in the Kingstone Press Championship and Halifax are now two points off one of the crucial top four places.

Toulouse: Kheirallah (4G), Maurel (2T), Planas, Ader, Minga, Marion (T), Robin, Boyer, Bentley K (T), Canet, Mika, Curran (2T), Bentley A. Subs: Kriouache, Puech, Hepi, Jnr-Leha.

Halifax: Sharp, Saltonstall, Woodburn-Hall (T), Tyrer (2T, 3G), Worrincy (T), Murrell, Johnstone, Cahalane, Moore, Boyle, Grix, Heaton, Fairbank. Subs: Tangata, Barber, Morris, Douglas.

Referee: Andy Sweet.

Half-Time: 18-6.

Full-Time: 32-22.

Attendance:.