Catalans Dragons came into today's game on the back of three consecutive home wins, against a Salford side who benefitted from the words of wisdom in mid-week of Tim Sheens. Salford themselves got their season up and running last weekend but were without a number of key players for the long trip to France.

Few could have predicted what would unfold over the next eighty minutes as the two sides would share eighty points in a game which would twist and turn right up until the final hooter. Some exciting attacking play thrilled the crowd but was offset with some awful defences from both sides.

Even in Iestyn Harris's wildest dreams he would never have expected the start that his side would make as they opened up a 22-0 lead in the opening eighteen minutes. First over the whitewash was Junior Sau off a Lee short pass on the first Salford attack of the game. On ten, a Chase kick was collected by Paterson who passed to Josh Griffin to grounds and on fifteen Paterson brushed aside tacklers to cross from twenty metres.

A Tasi break on eighteen saw him find Lee in support to register the travelling Red Devils fourth try of the afternoon and with three of them converted by Josh Griffin, Laurent Frayssinous must have wondered what had happened to his side who are usually so dependable at home.

But he needn't have worried, it would be the Red Devils turn to implode defensively for the second twenty of the half.

On twenty-four Zeb Taia opened the Catalans account as he went forty metres for a solo try. On the half hour the Dragons kept the ball alive on the last and moved left for Duport to cross in the corner. On thirty-four Pomeroy went down the right wing and after a quick juggle and brushing off three defenders he got the ball down. Three goals from Dureau gave a half time score of 18-22, very little to choose between two sides who were showing attacking flair, but missing tackles with alarming regularity.

The scoring action didn't dry up in the second half.

As in the first half it was the Red Devils who opened the second half scoring, this time thanks to an attacking mistake from Elima who lost the ball to Theo Fages who then went eighty metres, avoiding the chasing defenders to score.

The sides then exchanged tries, Pomeroy off a Dureau offload and then Chase collecting his own kick after it was knocked back by Locke. When Oldfield plucked a Dureau kick from the air to ground on the hour mark it was 30-32 and anyone's game.

After the Red Devils interfered at the play the ball Dureau accepted the invitation to tie up the scores at 32-32 and four minutes later the Dragons hit the front for the first time in the match when Whitehead went over off two fast passes.

On seventy-one it looked like the Catalans had the game sewn up when Henderson took the ball from the back of the scrum to score after a Dureau 40-20 earned great field position. The Dragons were now 40-32 ahead with nine minutes to hold out.

Salford finished the game as they'd started it with a try from Paterson off a Chase bounce pass, goaled by Josh Griffin. And the rugby gods shone on the visitors with a minute left on the clock when Escare was punished for moving off the mark, when he should perhaps have been asked to play the ball. and Griffin accepted the invitation to kick the penalty and level the score at 40-40.

Not one for the purists but plenty of points for the enthusiast. Neither side was good enough to win, but neither deserved to lose. A thoroughly entertaining evenings rugby from the south of France.

Dragons: Escare, Oldfield, Pomeroy, Tonga, Duport, Carney, Dureau, Anderson, Henderson, Lima, Taia, Whitehead, Mounis. Subs: Elima, Garcia, Bosquet, Baitieri.

Red Devils: Locke, Johnson, Sau, Paterson, Griffin J, Chase, Fages, Taylor, Lee, Tasi, Hansen, Hauraki, Walne J.. Subs: Morley, Griffin D, Walne A, Hood.

Referee: Phil Bentham
Attendance: 7,800