It was a Catalans Dragons, unbeaten in their last four outings, who visited a Hull KR side who ended their Easter losing streak with a superb away win at the home of the Champions last weekend.
The visitors had a number of players returning from injury which meant that there was no place in the squad for Morgan Escare, but the Dragons were still without the injured Todd Carney. A seven point win for the Dragons would lift them up to second spot in the table but KR wanted the points to open the gap between themselves and the Rhinos and Giants at the bottom.
Chris Clarkson had been handed the KR captaincy but he would be leading a side without usual skipper Terry Campese, who was ruled out for six to eight weeks following an injury against Leeds, joining the ever expanding KR injury list.
When Richie Myler kicked a 40-20 after just forty seconds it put the Dragons on the front foot from the start. The ball was moved right down the line for Tony Gigot to put Jodie Broughton over on the overlap. Pat Richards missed the conversion from out wide but it was a confident start.
On four minutes Vincent Duport scored in the opposite corner when he took a Louis Anderson pass off a Pat Richard palm back to walk in and ground in the corner. Richards added the conversion from touchline for 10-0.
On twenty-one the Dragons turned defence into attack thanks to a Richie Myler intercept in his own twenty. Despite being hauled down on half way, a fast play the ball was again moved right and Broughton found space wide to go forty metres off an Inu pass. Richards added the extras for 16-0.
On twenty-seven a mistake under the Myler high ball from KR winger Kieron Dixon allowed Krisnan Inu to collect and walk over the line. Richards kicked a simple conversion for 22-0 and the game was already slipping away from the Robins.
Five minutes from the interval and the Dragons went over again, this time with a bit of good fortune. A scrappy pass hit Gregory Mounis on the knee and bounced kindly for him to pick up and ground between the posts. It was a simple conversion kick for Richards to make it 28-0 at the interval demonstrating the Dragons dominance.
Hull KR held firm for eight minutes of the second half but when Richie Myler was allowed to go from dummy half he found a big hole in the defence to ground on the line. Richards was again accurate with the boot.
Two minutes later and Ben Cockayne added to KRs woes when he was given a ten minute break by referee Silverwood.
With their opponents down to twelve ex-KR player Willie Mason managed to ground the ball with his finger tips for his Dragons debut try as he carried four defenders with him. Thomas Bosc took over the kicking duties and was as accurate as Richards had been earlier for a 40-0 lead.
The remaining twenty-five minutes remained scoreless, but it was more of the Dragons easing off the pressure, than a good attacking performance from KR.
The Dragons sealed a sensational away win in nilling a KR side who came into the game on the back of a win against the Champions. Catalans were clinical in the first half and despite a better second half defensive effort from the home side there was only ever going to be one winner. The Dragons are now up to second in Super League 2016 and will feel confident that if they can maintain this form they will still be in the top four come play-off time.
KR: Cockayne, Sio, Minns, Thornley, Dixon, Blair, Marsh, Mulhern, Lawler, Tilse, Clarkson, Greenwood, Allgood. Subs: Lunt, Green, Moran, Walker.
Dragons: Gigot, Broughton (2T), Inu (T), Duport (T), Richards (5G), Bosc (G), Myler (T), Taylor, Pelissier, Mason (G), Stewart, Anderson, Baitieri. Subs: Bosquet, Mounis (T), Elima, Robin.
Referee: Richard Silverwood.
Attendance:
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