 It was party day at the Stade Gilbert Brutus as the Catalans Dragons celebrated ten years on Super League with a game against the side that they faced in their opening fixture back in 2006, Wigan Warriors.
And there was plenty to play for in a muggy south of France. A win for the home side would see them into second spot, ahead of today's visitors, but a win for the Warriors would life them back level on points with league leaders Hull FC.
It was difficult to know which of the two sets of fans would be partying the most come full time, but with little to choose between the two sides we should have been in for a belter.
The two sides had been evenly matched for the opening ten minutes and it took a mistake from Ben Flower, pushing a Dragons player off the ball, which allowed Pat Richards a simple penalty goal from fifteen metres in-front of the uprights.
On eighteen minutes Lee Mossop was sin-binned for a trip on Tony Gigot, but Wigan got the first four pointer of the game two minutes later when Dan Sarginson grounded a loose ball after relentless pressure on the Dragons defence. Matty Smith added the extras and the twelve men were 6-2 ahead.
On twenty-four the Warriors were in again as Ryan Sutton took a Matty Smith pass to dive over from five metres. Smith added the extras for 12-2 and already the Catalans party was turning a little sour.
Oliver Gildart made it 18-2 on thirty-one when he went thirty metres through a broken Dragons defence to score under the sticks. Smith added the simplest of conversions.
A Smith penalty five minutes from the interval gave the Warriors a commanding 20-2 lead going into the interval in a game that the visitors were totally dominating.
The Dragons finally got over the whitewash four minutes after the restart when Justin Horo opened their account, but Pat Richards failed to add the conversion.
On fifty-eight a 20 metre Dan Sarginson grubber kick was grounded brilliantly by a flying Dom Manfredi. Matty Smith added a touchline conversion sending his side 26-6 ahead.
Despite Josh Charnley bombing a gilt-edged opportunity a few minutes from the final hooter, the Dragons couldn't create another scoring opportunity and the Warriors rainout as 26-6 winners.
From their first try on twenty minutes, the Warriors never looked in any danger of losing this game. The visitors put the damper on the Dragons party and in doing so went level on points with Hull FC at the pinnacle of the table. The Dragons looked better in the second half than they had in the first but were still a long way second best.
Dragons: Gigot, Broughton, Garcia, Duport, Richards (G), Carney, Albert, Baitieri, Stewart, Horo (T), Taylor, Pelissier, Casty. Subs: Maria, Bousquet, Navarrete, Bosc.
Warriors: Tomkins, Manfredi (T), Sarginson (T), Gildart (T), Charnley, Williams, Smith (5G), Flower, Powell, Mossop (SB), Sutton (T), Isa, O'Loughlin. Subs: Tautai, Burke, Shorrocks, Bretherton.
Referee: Gareth Hewer.
Attendance:
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