It was the battle of two sides trying to break into the top eight, as the Catalans Dragons played host to Widnes Vikings. Both sides were coming into the game on the back of good wins last Friday and in the knowledge that a big win for either (by 25 for Catalans, or 30 for Widnes) would see them up to fifth spot in the Super League XX table.

Whoever emerged victor would be up to sixth, regardless of the winning margin.

The home side welcomed back Morgan Escare after his one game suspension but Widnes were forced into five changes from the last round. The smart money was on a home win.


The Dragons had already been denied one try by the video referee when they registered the first points of the game when Tonga was received of a knocked-back Escare kick to ground one-handed after five. Dureau was already sidelined with a head knock so Bosc kicked the conversion.

A Pelissier walk-in off a Whitehead pass and a second try for Tonga from another Escare kick opened up an 18-0 lead with just twelve minutes on the clock and it looked like it might be a rout as Widnes failed to muscle up in defence.

On twenty the ball passed through four pairs of hands before Pala scored in the corner and although Bosc failed to convert the home side were still scoring at over a point a minute at 22-0.

When Whitley was sin-binned on twenty-two for a shoulder charge on Whitley you feared the worst but the yellow card seemed to catalyse the visitors and the repelled the Dragons, keeping them at bay for the rest of the half.

It was the Vikings who registered the remaining points of the first half, just after half an hour, when good fast hands found Owens on the overlap to score. He failed to convert his own try but send his side into the interval trailing by 22-4 in a game where they had been outplayed.

Widnes showed much more flair and defensive effort in the second half and registered the first points of the half eight minutes after the restart. The Catalans had just gone close but Widnes hit them on the counter and Marsh spun over for the try converted by Owens.

On fifty-five Pelissier broke Widnes hearts as he went over from acting half-back and when Dureau added the extras it was 28-10 and a mountain for the Vikings to climb. Just after the hour mark a delightful grubber from Dureau was grounded in the corner by Cardace but Dureau couldn't add the two.

At 32-10 there would still be a consolation try for Gerrard, who crossed next to the uprights making Owens conversion a simple one but his side had gone down by 32-16, and the Dragons were up to sixth in the table.

The Catalans Dragons won this game in the opening twenty minutes when they cantered to a 22-0 lead. Widnes won the last hour of the game by 16-10 but it was too little, too late.

It was a clumsy game played out by two tired looking sets of players and the Dragons will be thanking the rugby gods that their opponents slept through the opening twenty minutes.

Dragons: Escare, Cardace, Pomeroy, Tonga, Pala, Bosc, Dureau, Casty, Henderson, Garcia, Taia, Whitehead, Baitieri. Subs: Anderson, Pelissier, Mounis, Bosquet.

Vikings: Craven Owens, Hulme, Marsh, Ah Van, Gilmore, Gore, Joseph, White, Kavanagh, Leuluai, Galea, Gerrard. Subs: Phelps, Manuokafoa, Whitley, Heremaia.

Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 7,000