By the yardstick of their recent seasons, the Catalans Dragons are having a stinker of a season as they sit in sixth place in the table looking anxiously at the sides below them including tonight’s hosts the Huddersfield Giants whose push for the top six is almost over but still mathematically viable.
The Giants were given the narrowest of starts on the handicap coupon with a two-point advantage over the side which incredibly lost to the London Broncos last time out, just the bottom sides second win of the season.
Huddersfield have only won one in their last five games and are now taking on the role of disruptor of other seasons rather than realistic hopefuls for the play-offs.
It was easiest of starts for the Dragons when in the second minute Tom Davies was the provider as Baley Sironen had a walk-in try from twenty metres without a Giants defender close enough to get a hand on. Arthur Mourgue added the conversion for 6-0.
On seven Sam Tomkins ran the angle for the second try with the Giants defence looking totally absent, Naiqama missing the tackle on Tomkins. Mourgue was unable to add the extras.
It took another fourteen minutes before the Dragons went over again, Fouad Yaha grounding a grubber Ben Garcia grubber towards the corner. Mourgue was wide again from the touchline, Catalans 14-0 ahead and seemingly in total control.
But on twenty-eight, Jake Bibby grabbed one back for the Giants after taking a Jake Connor offload to cross in the right corner. Connor was unable to add the extras from wide.
A high tackle from Julian Bousquet on thirty-one saw the Dragons forward sin binned and after Chris Hill and Seb Ikahihifo both went close the Dragons somehow managed to defend their line despite six consecutive sets for the Giants in their twenty.
Twenty-seconds before the half time hooter Naiqama won the race to ground a Tui Lolohea grubber which ripped through the Dragons defence. Connor added the conversion after the half-time hooter, Huddersfield just four behind at the interval.
Just like the first half, the Dragons struck early in the second half, Arthur Romano taking a Mourgue pass to run the angle through the Giants defence and dive over in the corner. Mourgue missed his third conversion attempt of the night.
Tomkins limped off the field on fifty-two in a blow for the visitors but on sixty-three Matt Ikuvalu took two Giants tacklers over the line as he grounded for the fifth Dragons try of the night. Mourgue uncharacteristically missed the conversion attempt again, his fourth miss in five attempts.
The Giants struck right back as Sam Hewitt bounced off a couple of tacklers as he went in from twenty metres. Connor added the conversion, and the Dragon lead was down to just six points.
With ten minutes remaining the Giants were all square after Lolohea broke the Dragons line and went in from thirty metres after taking an Andre Savelio pass and scoring under the sticks to give Connor a simple conversion for 22-22.
A seventy-fifth minute Mourgue drop goal pushed the Dragons back into the lead, by just a point.
A high tackle from Ikuvalu on Halsall saw the Dragons centre yellow carded with three minutes remaining allowing the Giants to progress downfield. An Olly Russell drop goal attempt was wide and short with a couple of minutes remaining and when the Giants should have been setting up for an equalising drop goal in the last second, Connor knocked on and the points went the Dragons way.
It was a good fighting performance from the Giants side who have nothing to play for other than pride. It was a game which they appeared to have lost on a couple of occasions but then they fought back and managed to level the scores going into the last ten minutes. The cool of Mourgue won the day, the panic of Connor preventing an equalising drop goal in the dying seconds.
Huddersfield Giants: Connor (3/4 G), McGowan, Bibby (T), Naiqama (T), Halsall, Lolohea (T), Russell, Hill, Milner, Savelio, Hewitt (T), Rushton, Cudjoe. Subs: Deakin, Ikahihifo, Livett, Rogers. 18th Man: Billington.
Catalans Dragons: Tomkins (T), Davies, Romano (T), Ikuvau (T, SB on 77), Yaha (T), Mourgue (1/5 G, DG), Fages, Navarrete, Da Costa, Dezaria, Garcia, Sironen (T), Bousquet (SB on 31). Subs: Maria, Aispuro-Bichet, Satae, Wallace. 18th Man: Séguier.
Half-Time: 10-14.
Full-Time: 22-23.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 4-14, (SB), 8-14, 10-14 :HT: 10-18, 10-22, 14-22, 16-22, 20-22, 22-22, 22-23, (SB) :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Catalans – Square - Catalans.
Referee: Tom Grant.
