Catalan snatch win over St Helens

Gary Wheeler
12 April 2012

Catalan Dragons snatched a dramatic 34-32 victory over St Helens at Langtree Park, coming from 26-8 down and scoring the winning try with the last move of the match to go top of Stobart Super League for the first time in their seven-year history.

Saints were in complete command when they led by 22 points after 44 minutes but the French outfit roared back with three tries in eight minutes to cut the gap to just four points.

In a sensational finish, St Helens centre Gary Wheeler scored his second try to restore his side's eight-point lead but the never-say-die Dragons finished the stronger, scoring the all-important try after the final hooter through centre Daryl Millard.

It took Saints just three minutes to open the scoring, with winger Jamie Foster gathering the ball from Lee Gaskell's grubber kick to touch down, but the Dragons levelled when prop Remi Casty shrugged off the attempted challenge of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to touch down.

Jonny Lomax jinked his way through the Catalan defence to get prop Anthony Laffranchi over on 15 minutes and Wheeler took Paul Wellens' pass to beat three defenders to score a third try.

Foster, whose three misses cost his side both points in last Sunday's 36-36 draw against Hull KR, converted all three tries and also kicked a first-half penalty but Scott Dureau kept the visitors in touch with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Saints' superior finishing was perfectly illustrated four minutes into the second half when 20-year-old right winger Tommy Makinson scooped up a pass from Michael Shenton by his ankles to cross for his side's fourth try.

Foster's fifth goal made it 26-8 but the French side set up a tense finish with a scoring burst of three tries in eight minutes. James Roby and Makinson combined with a terrific last-ditch tackle to deny Millard but, when the Dragons moved the ball the full width of the pitch, Steve Menzies got winger Damien Blanch over on 57 minutes.

That was enough to inject renewed confidence in the Catalans side as they struck with two more tries in as many minutes. Foster dropped Millard's kick to gift centre Vincent Duport a touchdown and Dureau finished off a break by Blanch to cut the gap to just four points.

Wheeler looked to have come to Saints' rescue, intercepting Dureau's to score his second try. However, Pryce sent second rower Setaimata Sa over for a fifth Catalans try and, with the last move of the match, the visitors kept the ball alive for Millard to touch down at the corner. That levelled the scores and Dureau kept his nerve to land the touchline goal.

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