Round 2
Warrington Wolves 20 l. Les Catalans Dragons 40

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Catalans come from 12 down to defeat Wolves by 20
Sun February 22, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Catalans Dragons came from 18-6 down to cruise to their first win of the season in a feisty engage Super League clash at Warrington.

Warrington Wolves looked in complete control thanks to tries from Matt King, Garreth Carvell and Chris Hicks but they collapsed alarmingly and conceded five tries in a one-sided second half before leaving to boos from their disappointed fans.

The Dragons were a shadow of the side that crashed to a 30-8 home defeat to Huddersfield Giants in their opening match and made the perfect start when loose forward Gregory Mounis scored the game's first try on nine minutes, winning the race to Thomas Bosc's grubber kick on the last tackle.

That followed a seven-minute stoppage to allow Catalans forward Dane Carlaw to have treatment for a facial injury sustained in a high challenge from Warrington second rower Ben Westwood.

It was a blow the Dragons could have done without, having lost forwards Sebastien Raguin and Jason Ryles to long-term injuries while coach Kevin Walters was forced to turn to Jean Philippe Baile, normally a centre or second rower, for the hooking role when Casey McGuire failed a late fitness test on a rib injury.

Westwood was put on report by Australian referee Jason Robinson for the incident and he could face further punishment if the RFL match review panel take a dim view of the incident.

Bosc converted Mounis' try but the Dragons' defensive frailty so evident in their opening game surfaced once more as they conceded three tries in a 10-minute spell.

Mickey Higham and Chris Bridge combined to get King over on 16 minutes, Carvell took Higham's bullet-like pass to go over near the posts for his first try for the club and centre Martin Gleeson produced some classy handling to send winger Hicks in at the corner.

Hicks kicked two of the conversions and added a penalty seven minutes before the break to put his side into an 18-6 lead but tries either side of the interval brought the visitors level.

Substitute Olivier Elima crashed over for a try for the visitors on the stroke of half-time and full-back Clint Greenshields jinked his way through the heart of the Warrington defence for a solo score four minutes into the second half.

The visitors were temporarily reduced to 12 men on 57 minutes when David Ferriol was sin-binned for holding down as referee Robinson lost his patience over a series of infringements by the French side and Hicks put over the resulting penalty to edge his side in front.

But the Catalans brushed aside their numerical disadvantage to regain the lead with scrum-half Shane Perry getting Greenshields over for his second try of the half.

Their confidence boosted, the Dragons stepped up the pace and clinched victory with three more tries in a devastating seven-minute spell.

Right winger Cyril Stacul took Bosc's floated pass to cross at the corner, Baile forced his way over from dummy half and left winger Dimitri Pelo profited from another Bosc cut-out pass to score his side's seventh try.

Bosc kicked five conversions and added an injury-time penalty to take his tally to six from eight attempts.

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