YORK Knights moved into the Betfred Championship play-off places after stunning Toulouse Olympique 20-12 at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.

Toulouse had won their last seven home meetings with the Knights but were nowhere near their best as Mark Applegarth’s side produced a stellar performance to run out winners on French soil for the first time since 2011.

The hosts had come out of the blocks well, with a converted Anthony Marion effort breaking the deadlock after seven minutes, but York were soon level, with Joe Brown flying into the corner to score his 50th Championship try.

Nikau Williams then put the Knights in front before the returning Will Dagger slotted over a penalty to hand them a 14-6 lead at the interval.

Despite Jordan Thompson being sent to the sin bin for a high tackle early in the second half, Toulouse could not capitalise, and were instead lucky not to have fallen further behind amid a 10-minute implosion.

The hosts though saw tries ruled out for grounding issues either side of Dagger’s length-of-the-field effort, but though Paul Ulberg hit back with just over 10 minutes left to play and Hingano finished the match in the sin bin, York held on to record a famous victory in the south of France.

Applegarth notably welcomed back full-back Dagger for his first match in over a month due to a hamstring injury, whilst Oli Field replaced Jimmy Keinhorst in the centres and James Cunningham slotted in at loose forward as Thompson moved to replace Jack Martin at prop.

Bailey Antrobus was rested, though both Josh Daley and Conor Fitzsimmons returned to the bench after missing last weekend’s win against Dewsbury due to tactical reasons.

Harrison Hansen and Sitaleki Akauola, who were both sent off during the reverse fixture back in March, were handed starts for Toulouse.

Though York saw out the first test of their defensive capabilities with relative ease, a penalty for a high tackle on Ryan Rivett opened the door for the hosts to break the deadlock with just seven minutes played.

Marion was able to ground a perfectly weighted kick in behind the Knights’ defence, with Jake Shorrocks’ successful conversion handing them a 6-0 lead.

Applegarth’s side though soon hit back from a penalty of their own.

Neat hands played in Brown, who continued his scintillating form with a flying finish into the right corner. Despite a difficult angle, Hingano brought the scores level from the tee as the half reached its midpoint.

Toulouse squandered a fantastic opportunity to restore their lead after Marion found himself in space, but the Knights’ defence was able to thwart Dominique Peyroux as he reeled in the loose forward’s pass.

Instead, it was York who fired themselves in front on the half-hour, with Hingano combining with half-back partner Williams, who scored beneath the posts.

Dagger took over kicking duties, slotting over the simple conversion with ease.

A high tackle on Robin Brochon threatened to allow Toulouse a way back into the game from the restart, but Rivett’s kick rolled dead in another let-off for the Knights’ defence.

York though fired themselves further in front five minutes before the break, with Dagger adding another two points from the tee after he had been caught high in front of the posts, handing them a 14-6 advantage at the hooter.

Toulouse looked to make another fast start after the interval, with Brochon able to ride a couple of tackles on the kick return, before Mathieu Jussaume won his side a goal-line drop-out.

However, the Knights were only spared by a controversial refereeing decision, with Peyroux ruled to have not grounded the ball as he looked to dive onto a grubber.

York then won their own drop-out from the resultant 20-metre restart, but after Hingano had carved out some space, Williams knocked-on with the tryline gaping.

The visitors’ ill-discipline though continued to haunt them, as pressure piled on their defence following a six-again and a quartet of penalties – the last of which saw Thompson sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Marion in the 53rd minute.

Lambert Belmas was held up over the line as Toulouse, despite their numerical advantage, could find no way through.

A huge hit from Hingano forced James Roumanos into a knock-on inside his own half, but Ulberg reacted swiftly to beat Brown to Williams’ kick as he seemed set to score.

Another opportunity presented itself just two minutes later after Toulouse had been pinned back within their own 20-metre line, but Connor Bailey was brought down just short on the last.

The hosts’ self-implosion continued as Peyroux let the ball slip from his grasp in a tackle, with Hingano finding Williams, but the latter’s pass to Brown was ruled to have gone forwards.

Toulouse came within a whisker of scoring after York had been penalised for a tip tackle but instead fell further behind just after the hour.

Brochon lost the ball as he was tackled by Daley and Dagger, the latter, who, with the home defence like statues, ran from his own 10-metre line to score to the left of the posts before collapsing with cramp.

He added another two points from the tee as the gap widened to 20-6.

Toulouse, forced to utilise 18th man Greg Richards, were able to regain possession from the kick-off, but the Knights held out to force the turnover just metres from the tryline.

But the hosts did find a way through from their next opportunity, with a neat show of hands releasing Ulberg to dive into the left corner with 11 minutes remaining. Shorrocks again converted.

The sides traded knock-ons before the Knights lost Cunningham to a rib injury, and things threatened to worsen further after Brenden Santi conceded another drop-out.

Toulouse thought that they had pulled another try back through Reubenn Rennie, but he was ruled not to have grounded the ball.

York were forced to see out the final seconds with 12 men after Hingano’s sin-bin for a high tackle, but though the hosts were able to advance inside the 10-metre line, a knock-on spared the Knights’ blushes.

Applegarth was then hoisted into the air in front of the travelling supporters as York became just the third team to take points home from Toulouse this season.

TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE: Brochon, Ulberg, Rennie, Jussaume, Marcon, Rivett, Shorrocks, Belmas, Gahan, Hansen, Stefani, Peyroux, Marion.

INTERCHANGES: lima, Roumanos, Akauola, Armitage.

TRIES: Marion (7), Ulberg (69)

GOALS: Shorrocks 2/2

YORK KNIGHTS: Dagger, Ward, Field, Law, Brown, Hingano, Williams, Michael, Jubb, Thompson, Bailey, Gannon, Cunningham

INTERCHANGES: Daley, Santi, Fitzsimmons, Teanby

TRIES: Brown (19), Williams (30), Dagger (63)

GOALS: Hingano 1/1, Dagger 3/3

SIN BIN: Thompson (high tackle, 52), Hingano (high tackle, 80)

POINTS SEQUENCE: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 6-14, 6-18, 6-20, 10-20, 12-20

HALF TIME: 6-14

YORK’S STAR MAN: Will Dagger. A strong performance from the full-back upon his injury return, including a length-of-the-field effort.

REFEREE: Kevin Moore