Catalans Dragons 16-28 York Knights: Match Report

York Knights picked up a huge win in the South of France, beating Catalans Dragons 28-16 in Betfred Super League.

In temperatures well over 30 degrees, the Knights kept Catalans scoreless in the second half, and withstood the last seven minutes of pressure without Jesse Dee, who was sinbinned.

Catalans dominated the opening stages, and scored twice in the opening 20 minutes to go ten points in front.

However, with just a four point deficit by the break, three tries coupled with some heroic defence in the second half saw York pick up their eighth win of the season to move up to 10th place in the table with one game remaining.

It was the worst start for York with Leo Darreletour getting on the end of a looping pass to get the ball down for the first of his hat-trick, despite the attention of Sam Wood. Guillermo Aispero-Bichet missed the kick, but Catalans had the early lead.

Darreletour’s second soon followed after a looping pass for a converted try, and the Dragons were turning pressure into points.

After the water break because of the heat, York got into the game. Back to back sets allowed pressure to build and Cody Hunter put Oli Field in with a good delayed pass before adding the goal.

Hunter was involved again, sending a long looping pass to put David Nofoaluma in, and again he converted to put York in front.

Alrix De Costa thought he’d put the Dragons back in front, only to be pulled back for being offside at the play the ball when he’d galloped through a big gap in the line, and the game went on to settle into an end to end pattern.

Just as it looked like York would take their lead into the break, they lost the ball inside the Catalans half. With the clock run down, the ball was moved wide for Darrelatour to break clear and go 60 metres for his hat-trick.

The better of the early second half pressure also went to the Dragons and it was only a tackle from Ata Hingano that stopped Benjamin Laguerre from grounding the ball and extending the lead, before more strong defence denied Ben Garcia in the same set.

As it was, York took the lead against the run of play. Liam Harris picked up a loose ball near his own 20 metre line after Catalans tried to kick through, and he raced clear. Hunter added the goal to restore York’s lead.

They stretched it further after absorbing plenty of pressure from the Dragons. Hunter was again involved and he fed Scott Galeano to dance his way through the defence.

Hunter couldn’t land a penalty from 40 metres out after a high tackle on Nofoalmua but York were starting to get the better of their opponents.

A break by Aispuro-Bichet led to a frantic spell with the Dragons throwing the ball around trying to take advantage of a broken defensive line. However, more hard work kept York’s line intact.

With seven minutes remaining, Catalans had a chance. Aispuro-Bichet put a kick through but his chase was obstructed by Jesse Dee who was sent to the sin-bin, leaving York to see the game out with one man down.

With the penalty five metres out, Catalans pushed, but more heroic defence, this time from Paul McShane, forced an error as it looked like the Dragons were through.

More pressure followed as York knocked on from the scrum and gifted possession back to Catalans. However the Dragons couldn’t hold on to it either and knocked on on the first of the set under pressure from Hingano and Toa Mata’afa.

When Hunter intercepted and fed Wood, the pressure was finally eased. In the set that followed, McShane found the onrushing Paul Vaughan who couldn’t be stopped so close to the line, and with Hunter’s fourth conversion of the night, the Knights had clinched a valuable win.

Catalans: Staines, Darrelatour, Martin, Aispuro-Bichet, Makinson, Sexton, Dodd, Allen, Leeming, Navarette, Garcia, Rogers-Smith, Da Costa

Subs: (All used) Bousquet, Laguerre, Descalzi, Delarose

18th Player: Marc (used)

Tries: Darrelatour (4, 17, 40)

Goals: Aispuro-Bichet (2/3)

York: Mata'afa, Jones-Bishop, Galeano, Wood, Nofoaluma, Hunter, Harris, Thompson, McShane, Vaughan, Dee, Field, Hingano

Subs: (all used) Balmforth, Va'a, Martin, Foster

18th Player: Bennison

Tries: Field (21), Nofoaluma (25), Harris (51), Galeano (64), Vaughan (78)

Goals: Hunter (4/6)

Sin Bin: Dee (73)

#OurEra | #ThisIsYork ⚔