Betfred Super League
Toulouse (0) 16
Tries: Quai-Ward, Butler, Rennie Goals: Shorrocks 2
Leigh (18) 40
Tries: Charnley 4, Alick-Wiencke, Senior, Niu, Horne Goals: Cook 4
Josh Charnley claimed four tries as Leigh Leopards narrowed the gap to the Super League play-off places as they overcame Toulouse in blisteringly hot conditions.
With temperatures around 37C (98.6F) in south west France, the match had four hydration breaks, two in each half, to cope with the conditions.
Super League’s all-time record try-scorer Charnley took his career tally to 276, while Jacob Alick-Wiencke, Innes Senior, Tesi Niu and Liam Horne added Leigh’s others.
It was a seventh win in nine league games as the Leopards moved two points behind Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity and St Helens, who occupy positions four to six.
Toulouse’s English forward Joe Cator needed to be treated for heatstroke in the first half and their only points came after going 34-0 down as Ethan Quai-Ward, Rob Butler and Reubenn Rennie replied with tries.
Defeat kept them third bottom in the standings, and the French side have now lost their last seven at home stretching back to February.
With France gripped by the heatwave that is affecting most of western Europe, the players were greeted with brutal temperatures at the 18:00 kick-off time, while spectators tried to find any shade possible in the Ernest Wallon Stadium.
But Leigh confronted the challenge with professionalism and Charnley delivered once again, scoring inside five minutes.
The 35-year-old then delivered a devastating sidestep after a long looping pass from Lachlan Lam to get his second and he completed his hat-trick after 23 minutes following a fine set-up from Umyla Hanley.
Alick-Wiencke’s good support play got him a try after a defence-splitting break from Adam Cook as the English side continued to dominate.
Senior touched down early in the second half as Leigh decided to go left on an attack before Charnley ran in his fourth of the game.
That extended his lead over Leeds Rhinos’ veteran winger Ryan Hall to four with 276 to Hall’s 271, while Charnley’s mark of 20 tries this season is second only to Leeds winger Maika Sivo, who has 27.
Niu added Leigh’s seventh try, before Toulouse finally got on the board when Quai-Ward crossed. That was quickly followed by Butler and Rennie doing the same – the latter after a blistering 70-metre run from Benjamin Laguerre had only been stopped just short of the line.
It was another game where the French side had only started playing when the game was over, but Horne danced through for the final try of the evening and a fairer reflection of the difference between the sides.