CATALANS DRAGONS 0 WIGAN WARRIORS 48
STEVE BRADY, Stade Gilbert Brutus, Saturday
CATALANS’ season is unravelling after losing their coach and sustaining a string of four defeats including the latest hammering at the hands of Wigan.
The visitors showed no mercy to the French side with a swashbuckling stint in the south of France sunshine, led by lightning winger Liam Marshall.
Les Dracs, under interim coach Joel Tomkins, had no answer to Wigan’s pack superiority and pace and even though they were missing several senior players to injury it seems unlikely the Dragons’ losing streak will end soon.
Captain Ben Garcia, Sam Tomkins, Tommy Makinson, Nick Cotric and props Julian Bousquet and Tevita Pangai Jr were all missing injured and Wigan went to town as Catalans crumbled.
Eleven French players were in the Dragons’ starting 17 including a debut for highly-rated youngster Clément Martin on the wing.
For Wigan, Ethan Havard returned to the team for the first time this year after tearing a hamstring in pre-season.
Things started according to script with a loose carry from Catalans’ Tariq Sims giving Wigan possession and space to put fullback Jai Field on a 40-metre race to the line, Adam Keighran converting for 6-0 after just four minutes.
Catalans kicked the restart over the touchline and put Wigan back on the offensive, then lost their captain’s challenge early in the game when they questioned a high shot on Luke Thompson and Keighran added the penalty for 8-0.
Wigan went into overdrive when winger Marshall exploded on a 30-metre dash to release substitute Sam Walters for the Warriors’ second try, again converted by Keighran.
Marshall went one better with an 90-metre sprint for a dazzling solo try, Keighran’s boot clocking up 20 unanswered points for the Warriors.
A brief rally led by Luke Keary was all Catalans could muster before the half-time hooter blew to halt any further progress from the visitors.
Walters failed to return from Wigan’s interval dressing room with a painful lower left leg injury but Bevan French put the visitors on the front foot with a 40/20 kick which put Jake Wardle in position for a dazzling sidestepping break, finished off by Kruise Leeming and finishing the game as a contest.
Junior Nsemba was next over the line, trampling over César Rougé from short range, then Marshall scored his second with a walk around the defence in the 62nd minute.
Keighran stretched the game to the other side of the pitch with a 60-metre dash to put French over the line, then scrum-half Harry Smith collected a clever pass from Wardle to score in the left corner.
Wigan coach Matt Peet was happy with the scoreline but not the performance which was littered with errors, while rookie interim Tomkins has a lot of work to do to get the Dragons back on a winning track.
GAMESTAR: Liam Marshall burned the Dragons with his pure pace.
GAMEBREAKER: Kruise Leeming’s try from a stunning Jake Wardle break just after half-time finished the contest.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Liam Marshall’s blistering 90-metre blast to score ten minutes from half-time, followed by a comedy knock-on by the winger from the restart.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Liam Marshall (Wigan)
2 pts Harry Smith (Wigan)
1 pt Adam Keighran (Wigan)
MATCHFACTS
DRAGONS
26 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
28 Clément Martin
3 Matthieu Laguerre
4 Reimis Smith
22 Fouad Yaha
6 Luke Keary
21 Théo Fages
15 Tevita Satae
14 Alrix Da Costa
16 Romain Navarrete
11 Tariq Sims
12 Elliott Whitehead
13 Oliver Partington
Subs (all used)
18 César Rougé
19 Paul Séguier
20 Jordan Dezaria
24 Franck Maria
18th man (not used)
30 Giovanni Descalzi
Also in 21-man squad
2 Tommy Makinson
5 Nick Cotric
8 Tevita Pangai Jr
WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
22 Zach Ecklersley
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
16 Liam Byrne
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
8 Ethan Havard
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
21 Sam Walters
18th man (not used)
19 Tyler Dupree
Also in 21-man squad
20 Harvie Hill
24 Jack Farrimond
26 Jacob Douglas
Tries: Field (4), Walters (20), Marshall (27, 62), Leeming (48), Nsemba (52), French (73),Smith (75)
Goals: Keighran 8/9
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-8, 0-14, 0-20; 0-26, 0-32, 0-36, 0-42, 0-48
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dragons: Luke Keary; Warriors: Liam Marshall
Penalty count: 5-4
Half-time: 0-20
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 10,103
