Round 10
Huddersfield Giants 16 l. Les Catalans Dragons 20

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Catalans continue excellent form
Sat April 5, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Jamal Fakir scored his first try for almost two years to help Catalans Dragons extend their best-ever run in engage Super League and climb into the top six with a 20-16 win over Huddersfield Giants.

The Dragons came from 12-4 down and held off a late fightback from Huddersfield to claim their third away win of the season and extend their unbeaten run to five matches.

The game finished on a controversial note when Giants scrum-half Luke Robinson appeared to have the ball stolen in a two-man tackle after being pulled down short of the line but referee Richard Silverwood awarded a scrum to the visitors.

New Zealand centre Jamahl Lolesi had scored the only try of a dour first half as Huddersfield ground out a slender interval lead at the Galpharm Stadium before producing a costly string of errors.

Already without first-choice centres John Wilson and Vincent Duport, the Dragons lost a third, Younes Khattabi, with a shoulder injury before half-time but stepped up a gear in the second half to finish the game on top.

The Frenchmen dominated the opening exchanges and two penalty goals from scrum-half Thomas Bosc in the first 12 minutes gave them the advantage.

But the Perpignan side lost the initiative after conceding a string of penalties and coming up with a series of errors, with stand-off Adam Mogg twice kicking directly into touch.

Huddersfield, who were without leading tryscorer Rod Jensen because of a back injury, thought his replacement, Leroy Cudjoe, had scored the opening try midway through the first half when he took Lolesi's pass to cross at the corner.

But referee Silverwood disallowed the score after spotting an obstruction in the build-up.

However, Lolesi was not to be denied and he charged over from Kevin Brown's pinpoint pass four minutes before the break after hooker Ryan Hudson had forced a pass from the tackle.

Thorman slotted the difficult conversion between the posts to give his side a worthy lead.

Huddersfield extended their lead three minutes into the second half when Hudson demonstrated tremendous strength to force his way over from close range through a melee of players, with video referee Ashley Klein giving him the benefit of the doubt in awarding the try.

Thorman's conversion made it 12-4 but the Dragons hit back immediately with giant French Test prop David Ferriol proving unstoppable from five metres out.

Bosc's third goal cut the deficit to just two points and the visitors regained the lead on the hour when the dangerous Bosc took Mogg's pass and went past Paul Jackson on a diagnal run to the line.

Bosc maintained his 100 per cent record to make it 16-12 and second rower Fakir made sure of the win when he charged down Thorman's attempted clearance and re-gathered to touch down.

There was an exciting finish when substitute prop Darrell Griffin forced his way over for Huddersfield's third try.

Thorman drop-kicked the conversion through the uprights but had the goal disallowed, although it proved irrelevant as time ran out for the Yorkshiremen.

Report source: www.superleague.co.uk

Article: Giants lack patience

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