Round 1
Castleford Tigers 14 l. Les Catalans Dragons 21

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Catalans down Castleford
Sun February 10, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Castleford Tigers produced a spirited performance but lacked the composure to turn it into a winning return to engage Super League.

Catalans Dragons were far from convincing as they began life after Stacey Jones in hesitant fashion, but they managed to overturn a 12-2 interval deficit to register their first away win in engage Super League for 10 months by 21-14.

The newly-promoted Tigers were forced to defend for long periods but took their chances to score the only tries of the first half and left to a standing ovation from the 7,000 crowd.

However, the French side demonstrated more precision finishing after the break and overcame the sin-binning of David Ferriol to snatch the points.

All eyes were on Australian scrum-half Brent Sherwin and local teenager Joe Westerman on their enage Super League debuts, and they did not disappoint.

The Dragons, who gave a debut to Australia Test forward Dane Carlaw, suffered a major blow on the eve of the match when centre Adam Mogg pulled a hamstring in training and was replaced by another debutant, 20-year-old rugby union convert Jean Philippe Baile.

Baile was inches short of scoring the game's first try when he took Aaron Gorrell's short pass but was brought down just before the line by winger Michael Wainwright.

The French club dominated the opening quarter as Castleford struggled to adjust to the faster pace of engage Super League but there was nothing wrong with their spirit as they defended heroically to keep their line intact.

The offloads of front rowers Alex Chan and Ferriol caused the home side all sorts of problems and gave scrum-half Casey McGuire, the man given the onerous task of filling the boots of the retired Jones, the room to weave his magic.

However, all the Dragons had to show for their early pressure was a penalty from stand-off Thomas Bosc, and it was against the run of play when the Tigers took the lead after 22 minutes.

An interception by centre Michael Shenton relieved the pressure and, from Castleford's first meaningful attack, Sherwin's long pass gave right winger Stuart Donlan an unopposed run to the corner.

Westerman landed the touchline conversion and the Tigers almost added to their tally immediately when full-back Dorn went through a gap and released Shenton but Catalans full-back Clint Greenshields pulled off a try-saving tackle.

The French team were their own worst enemies with their lack of ball control and it was from another interception, this time by Anthony Thackeray, that the Tigers scored their second try six minutes before the break.

The Dragons defence was all at sea when Shenton took an inside pass from Sherwin to go over by the posts, giving Westerman the simple task of extending his side's lead to 12-2.

The Catalans continued to attack in haphazard fashion and, when Gorrell breached the Tigers' line, he was held up on his back unable to ground the ball.

They demonstrated more clinical finishing after the break, however, and regained the lead with two tries in the first 12 minutes of the second half.

Loose forward Gregory Mounis finished off a slick handling move sparked by a break from his own half by winger Cyril Stacul, and second rower Jason Croker, at 35 the oldest player in Super League, won the race to Bosc's expertly-judged kick to the line.

Bosc kicked both conversions but Castleford drew level after 57 minutes with a Westerman penalty.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

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