CATALANS DRAGONS 38 WARRINGTON WOLVES 22
RICKY WILBY, Stade Gilbert Brutus, Saturday

CATALANS produced the second-half performance of the Super League season so far as they came from behind to score 28 unanswered points and secure a vital win.

Lewis Dodd scored a hat-trick as the Dragons ran riot in Perpignan but will give credit to man of the match Solomona Faataape, who starred for the home side against arguably the competition’s form outfit in Warrington.

Both sides were reduced to twelve men in the first half as first Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet in the twelfth minute (professional foul), then Matty Ashton in the 35th (tackling without the ball), were sent to cool their heels following their infringements.

With the man advantage, Warrington forced a goal-line drop-out and from the resulting field position and a set restart, sent the ball to the right through Marc Sneyd, George Williams and Albert Hopoate for Jake Thewlis to go over acrobatically in the corner.

Ten minutes later Williams – making his 350th career appearance, as was Sam Powell – ran the ball on the back of a Toafofoa Sipley offload and raced past Ben Condon and Charlie Staines to go under the posts in a magnificent show of skill and pace which the whole Brutus applauded.

After missing his first attempt, Sneyd added the conversion to give the Wolves a ten-point lead, but that was wiped out when Catalans capitalised even more on their man advantage.

First they sent the ball to the right through Toby Sexton’s 20-metre pass into the hands of Tommy Makinson, who raced over unopposed.

Then on the brink of half-time Kruise Leeming helped to create a score down the left for the Dragons. Involved three times, Leeming collected Condon’s offload and found Faataape who sent the ball wide to Léo Darrélatour who stepped inside to score.

Aispuro-Bichet added the conversion from close to the touchline, having missed his previous attempt, to level the scores at half-time.

Once back to their full quota of players five minutes after the break, Warrington hit the front. Kelepi Tanganoa broke down the left, drew the fullback and offloaded to the supporting Josh Thewlis who raced over unopposed to score under the posts where Sneyd added the conversion to re-establish a six-point-lead.

But three minutes later Makinson had his second try of the game. Sexton again dummied to kick and ran the ball before finding Aispuro-Bichet, whose offload to Makinson saw the former England winger step inside and score. Aispuro-Bichet added the conversion to level the scores once more.

Catalans hit the front in the 55th minute, Faataape breaking down the left before passing inside to the supporting Sexton who found Dodd who dummied his way past Josh Thewlis to score a converted try under the posts.

With eleven minutes remaining Faataape dummied and broke his way down the left before passing inside to the supporting Dodd who touched down for his second try of the game.

Aispuro-Bichet missed the simple conversion, but it wouldn’t matter as Dodd completed his hat-trick four minutes later.

A loose pass from acting-half was pounced on by Dodd who kicked ahead and then touched down to complete his first career hat-trick, and Aispuro-Bichet this time added the conversion to take the score to 32-16.

There was enough time before the end for Dodd to chip ahead for Zac Lipowicz who collected and touched down to extend the lead to 22 points after Aispuro-Bichet had converted the try.

Max Wood added a consolation effort 30 seconds from the end, converted by Sneyd.

GAMESTAR: Solomona Faataape was electric in attack and solid in defence, creating a number of tries for his team-mates, and giving the Warrington right edge a host of problems.

GAMEBREAKER: Lewis Dodd’s second try gave the hosts a ten-point lead heading into the final ten minutes.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: George Williams’ try in the 26th minute was a magnificent piece of play that got the crowd off their feet.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Solomona Faataape (Catalans)
2 pts Lewis Dodd (Catalans)
1 pt Toby Sexton (Catalans)

MATCHFACTS

DRAGONS
1 Charlie Staines
2 Tommy Makinson
24 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
4 Solomona Faataape
28 Léo Darrélatour
6 Toby Sexton
7 Lewis Dodd
15 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui
19 Kruise Leeming
17 Romain Navarrete
20 Zac Lipowicz
13 Ben Garcia
10 Julian Bousquet
Subs (all used)
8 Tevita Satae
12 Ben Condon
18 Harvey Wilson
30 Alexis Lis
18th man (not used)
14 Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e
Also in 21-man squad
3 Nick Cotric
25 Lenny Marc
26 Ugo Tison

Tries: Makinson (36, 50), Darrélatour (40), Dodd (55, 69, 73), Lipowicz (78)
Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 5/7
Sin bin: Aispuro-Bichet (12) – professional foul

WOLVES
2 Josh Thewlis
27 Jake Thewlis
3 Toby King
4 Albert Hopoate
5 Matty Ashton
6 George Williams
7 Marc Sneyd
10 James Harrison
9 Danny Walker
16 Liam Byrne
34 Kelepi Tanginoa
12 Sam Stone
13 Ben Currie
Subs (all used)
14 Sam Powell
15 Toafofoa Sipley
22 Joe Philbin
25 Max Wood
18th man (not used)
20 James Bentley
Also in 21-man-squad
18 Ewan Irwin
32 Ewan Smith
35 Lachlan Webster

Tries: Jake Thewlis (16), Williams (26), Josh Thewlis (47), Wood (80)
Goals: Sneyd 3/4
Sin bin: Ashton (35) – tackle without the ball

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 4-10, 10-10; 10-16, 16-16, 22-16, 26-16, 32-16, 38-16, 38-22

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dragons: Solomona Faataape, Wolves: Josh Thewlis

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 10-10
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 9,525