Catalans hold off late fightback by Castleford

Betfred Super League

Catalans (22) 34

Tries: Makinson 2, Maria, Faataape 2, Sexton Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 5

Castleford (12) 28

Tries: Qareqare, Brown, Stimson, Mapapalangi 2 Goals: Weaver 4

Catalans Dragons recorded just their second win in six Super League matches with an entertaining 34-28 victory against Castleford Tigers at a sweltering Stade Gilbert Brutus.

In temperatures of 35C, the Dragons ran in six tries to bounce back from their heavy defeat by Wigan Warriors in Paris last Saturday.

Experienced wing Tommy Makinson and Australian centre Solomona Faataape both scored twice and there were also tries by Franck Maria and Toby Sexton.

Castleford, who had gone into the match with two wins from their past three Super League matches, threatened a late comeback with the help of two tries by Krystian Mapapalangi.

The eighth-placed Dragons move to within four points of the play-off spots, while Castleford slip a place to 11th following Hull FC's victory against bottom club Huddersfield Giants earlier in the day.

Makinson opened the scoring when he towered over a hesitant Louis Senior to collect Lewis Dodd's accurate up-and-under on the last play and dot down.

Catalans' Josh Allen had a try disallowed underneath the sticks for a clear double movement before Dodd and Makinson combined once more when Dodd's cut-out ball found Makinson and he dived over in the left corner with ease inside the opening 15 minutes.

Jason Qareqare put the Tigers on the board moments after the first-half water break with an assist from former Catalans full-back Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e to run in at the left corner, but Catalans roared back as Toby Sexton's beautifully fired pass allowed Maria to crash over underneath the posts.

Catalans' Julian Bousquet thought he had added his name to the scoresheet in a dominant first half, latching on to Kruise Leeming's deft grubber kick, but his try was chalked off for offside.

Castleford made their hosts pay for that shortly afterwards as Jack Brown had a walk-in try on debut, collecting Daejarn Asi's cut-out pass, before Tom Weaver added the extras.

Back came the Dragons though, and Faataape reacted brilliantly to take in a bobbling ball from a kick through by the instrumental Dodd, which deceived Tigers wing Senior, to touch down - and after Weaver added a penalty on the stroke of half-time for the visitors - the Dragons went into the break with a 10-point advantage.

Makinson then turned provider, finding Sexton infield with a well-weighted kick for the Australian stand-off to finish.

A fortunate ricochet then came back to Faataape, who picked up brilliantly and dived over for his second try, and when Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet slotted the extras, his fifth conversion of the evening, Catalans looked to be home and hosed.

The Tigers did not wilt in the heat though, and sheer opportunism and bravery from Joe Stimson, with a kick in behind and finish under pressure, gave them hope inside the final quarter of the match.

And Mapapalangi reduced the arrears further, scoring on the Tigers offensive left edge, before adding a second in the final minute, touching down from a grubber kick by Asi. But it proved to be too late to pull off what would have been a famous comeback win.

Catalans Dragons head coach John Cartwright told Sky Sports:

"It's a hard one, I'm sitting up there in an air-conditioned box, and sometimes the conditions, you forget about them.

"I just spoke to a few of the players from both sides and they said it was really oppressive, so I'll just put those lapses in defence in the last 20 minutes down to the heat because we've come up with some plays there that you don't want to see in your team.

"I thought the halves controlled the game really well, let's focus on the positives, but it's that other side of the game that we need to tighten up."

Castleford Tigers head coach Ryan Carr told Sky Sports:

"You can't concede 34 points and expect to win.

"I thought we tackled as well as we've tackled in a long time. I thought our line speed was great. We're a good attacking team when we're all on the same page and I was really happy with our effort levels tonight.

"There were definitely tries there where we should not have conceded. I felt like we handled the conditions, really. To have 60% of possession against us for the majority of that game just goes to show how hard the boys were working out there."

Catalans: Staines; Makinson, Aispuro-Bichet, Faataape, Cotric; Sexton, Dodd; Allen, Leeming, Navarrete, Maria, Lipowicz, Bousquet.

Interchanges: Satae, Condon, Wilson, Laguerre.

Castleford: Laulu-Togaga'e; Senior, Cini, Mapapalangi, Qareqare; Asi, Weaver; Dupree, Golding, Stimson, Hirst, Mellor, Lawler.

Interchanges: Lane, Hall, Robb, Brown.

Referee: Liam Rush.