Wigan Warriors V Toulouse Olympique preview: Here is everything you need to know ahead of tonight's match

Wigan Warriors welcome Toulouse Olympique to the DW Stadium this evening.
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Matty Peet’s side will be looking to return to winning ways following Sunday’s 30-12 defeat to Wakefield Trinity.

The Warriors missed out on the chance to strengthen their position in second with the loss at Belle Vue, while also doing this week’s opponent no favours.

The Opposition:

Wigan Warriors welcome Toulouse to the DW StadiumWigan Warriors welcome Toulouse to the DW Stadium
Wigan Warriors welcome Toulouse to the DW Stadium
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Toulouse currently sit in 12th place in the Super League table, winning only five times in 23 games.

Following Trinity’s victory at the weekend, they are now four points from safety, with four games remaining.

They have lost four games on the bounce, and while the scorelines may not be truly reflective of their performances, they have still got nothing out of the games.

Prior to that, they had won three in a row, but that now feels like a very long time ago.

The Coach:

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Sylvain Houles has been Toulouse head coach since 2012 and has overseen their rise to Super League.

As a player he was predominantly used as a winger, starting his career in 1999.

He moved over to England a year after, when he signed for Huddersfield Giants.

He also played for London Broncos, Dewsbury Rams and Wakefield Trinity, before moving back to France.

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His career on the field ended in 2012 with the club he has been coaching ever since.

Key Men:

A number of former Wigan players are currently in the Toulouse squad.

This includes Chris Hankinson and Harrison Hansen, who will be looking to make an impact as they return to the DW Stadium.

Matty Russell is also on the list of ex-Warriors, and is the top scorer for the French side this season, with 12 tries to his name.

Previous Meetings:

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It was a tight game when the two met in France back in March.

Wigan needed a late Harry Smith drop-goal to come away with 29-28 win and the two points, after coming from behind.

Jai Field went over for a brace that day, while Cade Cust, Liam Marshall and Zak Hardaker were also on the scoresheet.

Meanwhile, it was a much clearer victory for the Warriors in the second meeting, where Abbas Miski went over four times in a 40-6 win.

Liam Farrell, Bevan French and Field all scored as well.

Final Thoughts:

There is no reason why Wigan shouldn’t bounce back and return to winning ways this week.

While Toulouse can cause trouble to their opponents; the Warriors should still have enough to overcome them.