HALIFAX PANTHERS 0 CATALANS DRAGONS 14
KEITH McGHIE, The Shay, Saturday
A LESS than convincing Catalans were forced to dig deep to overcome heroic Halifax and move into round four of the Challenge Cup.
The Panthers’ fabulous defence repelled their Super League opponents for over an hour before the blue and white hooped dam, which never fully broke, finally sprung a decisive leak.
The error-ridden Dragons struggled to ever fully boss a captivating and compelling cup-tie in cold and damp conditions but their coach Steve McNamara was quick to praise the disruption created by their gutsy hosts.
“Credit to Halifax, who were great,” he said.
“We made many basic errors in the first half, some of which were down to them, but this was not the way we wanted to start a season.
“It was a tough test and maybe that will be good for us before the Super League begins.”
The Dragons, twice finalists in the past two decades and winners in 2018, were generally in the ascendancy.
But Fax, who have triumphed in the competition on five occasions, albeit not since 1987, had a few moments when they might easily have snatched something tangible.
Shades of that memorable run to the semi-finals in 2019 must have flashed through their fans’ minds throughout the opening 63 minutes.
The French club’s handling errors gave the Panthers plenty of early ball and favourable field position and opportunities to put points on the board
Ben Crooks went close in the initial exchanges but was unable to take the try-scoring pass.
Sam Tomkins was then forced to gather a rapidly-breaking James Woodburn-Hall into touch as the Panthers again threatened to break the deadlock.
But gradually the Dragons worked their way into the game and finished a pointless opening stanza undoubtedly in the ascendancy on the pitch but still not on the scoreboard.
Nick Cotric almost got over in the corner but Jack Hansen managed to wrestle the Aussie into touch by the flag.
Tevita Pangai Junior was just held up just short while, a couple of minutes later, Arthur Mourgue was penalised for a double movement as he wriggled across the line.
Cotric was held up and Pangai Jnr was restrained just short as the Perpignan side’s immense pressure over several successive sets was again resisted by dogged defence.
Charlie Graham then ran free but was crucially dispossessed by Tariq Sims.
Former Man of Steel Tomkins, with a heavily strapped right thigh, failed to take to the field after half-time.
“Sam picked up a hamstring injury at the end of the first half,” explained McNamara.
It meant that Cesar Rougé deputised behind the line while the blue and white hooped wall continued to repel their opponents.
Fax, sensing a shock, spent a brief spell deep in Dragons’ territory, but after an error by the hosts, just metres from their own line, Catalans were awarded a penalty within range and Mourgue opted to break the deadlock from the tee.
Hansen almost latched onto an intercept but, as in the opening half, Catalans gradually wore down the resistance and, just after the hour, Cotric’s deft offload put Yaha in at the corner.
Mourgue’s magnificent touchline conversion eased the Dragons two scores ahead.
Halifax savoured one more moments of hope when Hansen broke clear down the middle, but the Dragons regrouped quickly enough to foil the threat and Rougé finally capitalised on some understandably tired tackling to add a second try in the dying moments.
GAMESTAR: Nick Cotric’s threat was always evident and it was his clever offload that finally opened daylight between the sides.
GAMEBREAKER: Cotric’s brilliant offload which broke the try deadlock just after the hour.
MATCHFACTS
PANTHERS
1 Louis Jouffret
2 Ben Tibbs
3 Charlie Graham
4 Ben Crooks
5 James Saltonstall
6 James Woodburn-Hall
7 Jack Hansen
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Adam O’Brien
16 Ronan Dixon
11 Owen McCarron
19 Zach McComb
13 Jacob Fairbank
Subs (all used)
14 Tom Inman
10 Joe Hird
17 Will Calcott
20 Brad Graham
DRAGONS
1 Sam Tomkins
2 Tommy Makinson (D)
17 Bayley Sironen
5 Nick Cotric (D)
22 Fouad Yaha
18 Cesar Rougé
7 Arthur Mourgue
10 Julian Bousquet
9 Ben Garcia
15 Tevita Satae
11 Tariq Sims
12 Elliott Whitehead (D2)
13 Oliver Partington (D)
Subs (all used)
14 Alrix Da Costa
8 Tevita Pangai Jr (D)
19 Paul Séguier
24 Franck Maria
Tries: Yaha (63), Rougé (77)
Goals: Mourgue 3/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-0; 0-2, 0-8, 0-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Panthers: Charlie Graham; Dragons: Nick Cotric
Penalty count: 4-7
Half-time: 0-0
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 806
