Challenge Cup: Catalans Dragons 27-14 Featherstone Rovers - Super League side avoid upset against Rovers

Fouad Yaha has scored four tries for Catalans in Super League so far this season

Super League side Catalans Dragons survived a major scare to see off Featherstone Rovers and book a place in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Tries from Brandon Pickersgill and Joey Leilua put the Championship leaders 10-0 up inside seven minutes.

A double from Fouad Yaha reduced the gap before half-time only for Leilua to put Rovers back in charge.

But tries from Sam Kasiano, Tyrone May and Tom Davies finally broke Rovers' resistance as Dragons avoided an upset.

Although promotion back to the top flight is clearly the priority for Brian McDermott's side, Rovers started superbly in the sunshine in southern France as they chased a first ever win over Catalans.

After Pickersgill capitalised on great field position to score after only two minutes, some terrific work from Craig Hall moments later left the Dragons stunned as his steal and cross-field kick bounced kindly for Leilua to go over.

Catalans, with five wins in a row since losing their opening Super League game against St Helens, struggled in the face of Rovers' energy and resolute defence but eventually found a way through when top try-scorer Yaha dotted down in the corner to get the home side on the board.

Yaha's strength then took him through for his second to cut the gap to two points at the break.

Despite going in with the momentum, Catalans were immediately on the back foot in the second half as Leilua was not held by Sam Tomkins and the Samoan centre ran in to score the 100th try of his career and put Rovers 14-8 up.

Moments later Davies missed an interception chance for an immediate reply but it was not long before Catalans were back in it as Kasiano rumbled over from a couple of metres with Tomkins adding the conversion to tie the scores.

That was the cue for Les Dracs to shift through the gears as Featherstone tired, allowing May to grab his first try of the season as he went under the posts to put them in front for the first time before the same man set up Davies to give them some much-needed breathing space inside the last 10 minutes.

Tomkins' late drop-goal made absolutely sure of the result and Catalans breathed a big sigh of relief as they chase a second Challenge Cup success to follow their victory in 2018.

Catalans: Tomkins, Davies, Romano, Laguerre, Yaha, May, Drinkwater, Dudson, Da Costa, Napa, Chan, Jullien, Garcia

Interchanges: McMeeken, Goudemand, Rougé, Kasiano

Featherstone: Pickersgill, Briscoe, Leilua, Hall, Gale, Smith, Jacks, Cooper, Wildie, Lockwood, Ferres, Hardcastle, Moors

Interchanges: Bussey, Davies, Field, Cuthbertson

Referee: A. Moore.