Super League: Huddersfield Giants 10-20 Catalans Dragons - Tom Davies sets Catalans on way to victory

Catalans dominated the first half, with Tom Davies setting them on their way to victory

Tom Davies' scintillating run from his own 20 set up the best of Catalan Dragons' three tries in a comfortable victory over Huddersfield Giants.

Davies' snaking run produced the third Catalans try for Mike McMeeken on the stroke of half-time, following scores from Matt Whitley and Ben Garcia.

Giants levelled with a try from Chris McQueen but trailed 20-6 at the break.

Sam Wood also crossed for Huddersfield, but Joe Greenwood's red card ended any hopes of a revival.

Greenwood was sent off for a swinging arm to the head of Samisoni Langi with five minutes remaining and it confirmed a second consecutive defeat for the Giants after losing 22-10 to Hull FC in round one.

Greenwood's tackle rounded off a day of indiscipline from Huddersfield but there was little they could do about the Davies run that helped stretch Catalans' lead just before half-time.

Davies took Sam Tomkins' pass on his own 20, found a hole in the defensive line and stepped in and then out to the right wing.

He looked to be going all the way to the line but settled for an offload to McMeeken to complete a wonderful try.

It stretched a lead built by an opening try from Whitley, taking an offload from Tomkins after a strong run to the line, and a second from Garcia, who leapt to catch a clever kick towards the posts by Josh Drinkwater.

The second try came with James Maloney in the sin-bin for a 'cannonball' tackle but Huddersfield failed to score against 12 men.

The hosts had earlier cancelled out the Catalans' opening score when Lee Gaskell delayed a pass perfectly to put McQueen through a hole, and gave themselves hope in the second half as Gaskell floated a pass to Wood who scored in the right corner.

Wood was inches away from a second try in the same corner that would have set up a tense finish, but Greenwood's red card saw Catalans close out victory.

Huddersfield coach Ian Watson told BBC Radio Leeds:

"In the first half we didn't give ourselves a chance in the game with our ill-discipline.

"We gave them easy metres but in the second half we learned our lessons but it shouldn't take a half to do it.

"If we don't concede that try right on half-time,the game is probably different."

Catalans coach Steve McNamara on Sam Tomkins' England prospects:

"There are some very good players and Sam is up there, but what separates him from the others is his leadership skills. He is a genuine leader.

"It's a pleasing start for us. We had a very limited period to get ready as a team and to find those two wins, in different styles, puts us in a good position."

Man-of-the-match Sam Tomkins:

"It's important to get a good start to the season. In both games we've had periods that have been a little scrappy and we know we need to be more consistent for 80 minutes.

"We didn't really organise well enough in the second half but hopefully we'll learn a lot from that."

Huddersfield: McIntosh, McGillvary, J. Wardle, Cudjoe, Wood, Gaskell, Cogger, Yates, Cunningham, Gavet, McQueen, Greenwood, Jones.

Interchanges: English, Edwards, O'Brien, Lawrence.

Catalans: S. Tomkins, Davies, Whare, Langi, Yaha, Maloney, Drinkwater, Bousquet, Da Costa, Dudson, McMeeken, Whitley, Garcia.

Interchanges: Mourgue, Seguier, Baitieri, Kasiano.

Referee: Ben Thaler.