After resting most of the forwards for last week’s comfortable Challenge Cup win at Hunslet Hawks,coach Ian Watson named a strong line-up as the Reds returned to league action in the South of France.
The Reds were looking to avenge their 12-26 defeat at the hands of the French at the AJ Bell Stadium on Good Friday.
Niall Evalds opened the scoring in the third minute with a try in the corner and three minutes later former Reds winger Jodie Broughton touched down following a slick move (4-4).
The ‘tit for tat’ scoring pattern continued throughout the half with the Red Devils adding to their score with tries from Justin Carney and Junior Sau and a conversion from Gareth O’Brien.
Tries from Morgan Escare and Vincent Duport together with two Pat Richards conversions gave the Dragons a slender 16-14 interval advantage.
In the 50th minute Sau added his second try and with Michael Dobson converting the Reds were ahead at 16-20.
Reds fans joy though proved to be short-lived as an 18 points salvo in five minutes through tries from Richie Myler (2) and Broughton and three goals from Richards enabled Catalans to surge ahead at 34-20.
The Reds then launched a fightback with tries from Sau and Evalds. O’Brien and Dobson landed a conversion each for a 34-32 score with just under fifteen minutes remaining.
With just four minutes left the French clinched victory with a Richards try converted by Thomas Bosc. Richards then added a penalty for a final score of 42-32.
