Seven-try Hull thrash relegated Toulouse

Mitieli Vulikijapani races in to score Hull FC’s fourth try in a convincing win over Toulouse.

Hull FC (24) 38
Tries: Barron 2, Gardiner, Vulikijapani 2, Longstaff, Lane Goals: Connor 5
Toulouse (0) 12
Tries: Armitage, Bergal Goals: Hankinson 2

Hull ran in seven tries on their way to a first win in five Super League games, at the expense of relegated Toulouse.

Harvey Barron scored twice in the opening 15 minutes, before Will Gardner touched down on his home debut.

Mitieli Vulikijapani showed good pace to race away for Hull’s fourth as they took a 24-0 lead into the break.

Toulouse hit back through Guy Armitage and Ilias Bergal, but Ellis Longstaff, Jordan Lane and Vulikijapani’s second confirmed a deserved Hull victory.

The French side were relegated after one season in Super League following their defeat against fellow French side Catalans Dragons on Thursday.

Despite recording impressive wins over Leeds and St Helens this season, Sylvain Houles’ side could not put together a run of form good enough to remain in the division.

Hull enter into the final stages of the 2022 campaign unable to reach the play-offs and came into the match having beaten Toulouse on two occasions already this season.

Those two victories saw Brett Hodgson’s Airlie Birds put a cumulative 78 points past their opponents, with Toulouse managing just 18 in response.

Ellis Longstaff scored Hull’s fifth after 65 minutes in front of a crowd of 8,785 at the MKM Stadium

An upset never looked likely with Barron scoring twice from Jake Connor passes to put the hosts 12-0 up inside a quarter of an hour.

Gardner’s score was quickly followed by Vulikijapani’s, with the Fijian finishing acrobatically after a flowing move, with Cooper kicking four out of four conversions to help the score along to 24-0 at half-time.

Toulouse finally got on the scoreboard after 62 minutes when Armitage powered over but the French side’s joy was short-lived as Barron offloaded to Longstaff to cross the line three minutes later.

Lane and Vulikijapani added late tries either side of Toulouse’s second from Bergal to finish off a convincing Hull victory.

Hull round off their season with a derby against city rivals Hull KR next Saturday, with Toulouse travelling to league leaders St Helens before their relegation to the Championship.

Hull FC: Connor; Litten, Scott, Vulikijapani, Barron; Smith, Gale; Sao, Johnstone, Taylor, Lane, Longstaff, Gardiner.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Laidlaw, McNamara, Satae.

Toulouse: Ashall-Bott; Schaumkel, Armitage, Marcon, Bergal; Hankinson, Cunningham; Navarettte, Peats, Alvaro, Peyroux, Bretherton, Paulo.

Interchanges: Pelissier, Belmas, Hansen, Sangare.

Referee: Aaron Moore.