HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 42 CATALANS DRAGONS 20
STEPHEN IBBETSON, John Smith’s Stadium, Saturday
HUDDERSFIELD saved their biggest league win of the season for their biggest home crowd, putting on the best possible advert to convince fans to follow them to Dewsbury next year.
It was announced at half-time that the club will call the FLAIR Stadium home from next season, a decision met merely with lukewarm applause from the 8,934-strong support who took advantage of free entry to the fixture.
By that time the Giants were 36-0 up against a Catalans side who produced a truly disgraceful performance lacking the level of effort that should be the bare minimum.
The returns of general Adam Clune and pacy Sam Halsall after long-term injury were hugely welcome and both were influential in earning Huddersfield’s third successive victory in the Jim Lenihan resurgence.
Catalans, who only showed substance after having Franck Maria sent off midway through the second half for an awful shoulder charge to the head of George King, have in contrast sunk to a sixth loss in seven.
Halsall marked his return in style within four minutes, intercepting a truly awful pass from Catalans fullback Charlie Staines to go the length of the field.
The second try was little better from a Dragons perspective, as Léo Darrélatour knocked on a kick then an inviting gap opened in the defence for Fenton Rogers to cross of a short Harry Rushton pass.
And the returnees combined for try number three, Halsall this time scoring via a lovely cut-out pass from Clune.
George Flanagan added all three conversions, the last an excellent touchline effort, to make it 18-0 – and the rest of the first half was exactly the same.
When Hugo Cellier fumbled a Lewis Dodd pass on halfway, Tui Lolohea and Lewis Jagger sent Connor Wrench racing away for another score.
Tui Lolohea placed a perfect short kick behind the tryline defence for Sam Hewitt to grab his first try of the season, then fellow back-rower Zane Dunford followed in with the simplest of crash-overs off a Zac Woolford pass.
Three more Flanagan goals meant it was 36-0 when half-time – and the big reveal – came along.
John Cartwright must have said something right to his Catalans players in the dressing room, as they came out and got on the board early through Ben Condon’s crash-over between the posts and Toby Sexton’s conversion.
Clune looked to hit back but was tackled by Zac Lipowicz after slicing through the defence.
Moments after that, young centre Cellier’s Dragons debut was brought to an unfortunate end as he had to be helped off with an injury after a painful tackle.
Just as it seemed Catalans had finally turned up, Sexton threw a pass which Wrench gratefully intercepted to run the length for his second try of the game.
And that was followed by Maria’s brain explosion, the forward landing an ugly shot on King and fully deserving the red card brandished by Tara Jones.
Huddersfield inexplicably switched off, as Catalans scored the next three tries with Condon getting his second – having only scored one all year before this, also against Huddersfield – Staines this time getting an ambitious pass on the money for Darrélatour to go in, then Staines getting an intercept of his own.
GAMESTAR: George Flanagan was a tricky threat from the back as Huddersfield had a first-half field day.
GAMEBREAKER: From the moment Charlie Staines gifted Sam Halsall the opening try, it was clear only one team had turned up for this game.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Adam Clune’s assist for Sam Halsall’s second try was a taste of what Huddersfield have missed in recent months.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts George Flanagan (Huddersfield)
2 pts Adam Clune (Huddersfield)
1 pt Connor Wrench (Huddersfield)
MATCHFACTS
GIANTS
21 George Flanagan
5 Sam Halsall
3 Jacob Gagai
34 Connor Wrench
42 Lewis Jagger
6 Tui Lolohea
7 Adam Clune
14 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
16 George King
43 Zane Dunford
12 Sam Hewitt
13 Harry Rushton
Subs (all used)
8 Tristan Powell
17 Joe Greenwood
20 Mathieu Cozza
40 Cole Geyer
18th man (not used)
18 Kieran Rush
Also in 21-man squad
1 Niall Evalds
26 Archie Sykes
29 Tanguy Zenon
Tries: Halsall (4, 14), Rogers (9), Wrench (22, 59), Hewitt (31), Dunford (40)
Goals: Flanagan 7/7
DRAGONS
1 Charlie Staines
2 Tommy Makinson
3 Nick Cotric
34 Hugo Cellier (D)
28 Léo Darrélatour
6 Toby Sexton
7 Lewis Dodd
16 Josh Allen
9 Alrix Da Costa
11 Franck Maria
20 Zac Lipowicz
33 Edenn Rogers-Smith
13 Benjamin Garcia
Subs (all used)
10 Julian Bousquet
12 Ben Condon
19 Kruise Leeming
30 Alexis Lis
18th man (not used)
26 Ugo Tison
Also in 21-man squad
21 Matthieu Laguerre
27 Clément Martin
29 Giovanni Descalzi
Tries: Condon (44, 65), Darrélatour (68), Staines (76)
Goals: Sexton 2/4
Dismissal: Maria (62) – shoulder charge
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0, 36-0; 36-6, 42-6, 42-10, 42-14, 42-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Giants: George Flanagan; Dragons: Ben Condon
Penalty count: 7-2
Half-time: 36-0
Referee: Tara Jones
Attendance: 8,934