Challenge Cup: Catalans Dragons & St Helens set for Grand Final rematch in golden last-eight tie

It's the biggest match of the season so far and it features some of the star names in rugby league.

Catalans Dragons and St Helens - last year's Super League Grand Finalists - meet in Saturday's Challenge Cup quarter final, both hoping to take what would be a major step towards next month's showpiece at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The bumper crowd at Perpignan's Stade Gilbert Brutus will be boosted by a huge television audience on BBC One and on free-to-air French national television from 14:00 BST on Saturday afternoon.

But, who will come out on top in the battle of Super League's juggernauts?

Former England International Kevin Brown and ex-Scotland International Andrew Henderson will be part of the BBC's coverage this weekend - and both teamed up on this week's 5 Live Rugby League podcast to analyse the game.

Saints' key is "curtain of steel"

Kristian Woolf and the St Helens squad have fostered a strong team ethic

St Helens' defence has been the standout feature for the side that currently sits top of the Super League table. They have conceded, on average, a mere seven points a game in their seven matches so far.

"This St Helens are the best defensive side I've seen bar none in the Super League era," said Brown.

"What they do consistently with their line speed and aggression, I've not seen replicated from any other team.

"Teams try to do it, teams try to get line speed and often they do for certain periods. But that often drops off after 10 or 15 minutes. What Saints do is they just keep going after you all game."

Henderson believes the curtain of steel that Kristian Woolf's side put up comes from the training ground and an ethos instilled in the club.

"Obviously, with the training programme they have in place they've got it right," added the former World Cup hooker.

"The way they structure their training sessions and their programme, they've obviously designed to maximise this intensity, this pace.

"They've also targeted and developed certain types of players to fit that mould as well.'

However, Henderson does believe Catalans are capable of knocking the current cup holders out.

"If there is one team that can upset the apple cart against Saints, it is Catalans because they have got a lot of fire power and a lot of talent within that team," Henderson said.

"Catalans will need to be disciplined, they'll have to execute well and they'll have to produce their best performance of the season. But if any team has got the undoing of Saints it's certainly the Catalans Dragons."

Have Dragons learned round one lesson?

Catalans prop Dylan Napa saw red in round one when he shoulder charged Mark Percival

Brown, England's stand-off in the 2017 World Cup final, believes the Dragons can draw inspiration from the 2022 Super League opener in February.

The 37-year-old thinks coach Steve McNamara will have learned plenty from that match, even though Catalans lost 28-8.

"He's had a good look at them this year in round one," Brown said. "The thing they will take from that is that they have to match aggression with aggression, but in round one, on the night, it was over-aggression.

"They had Gil Dudson sin-binned and they had Dylan Napa sent off. If they are to compete with Saints they've got to be clean.

"I don't know what the formula is to beat Saints. If they play to their best, or anywhere near their best, they almost look unbeatable.

"Catalans on their day have proven that they can beat these good teams. But they are going to have to play better than they've played all season."

Where will the Dragons' fire come from?

Henderson picks out Sam Tomkins as key man if the French club are going to progress.

Sam Tomkins from full-back and Mitchell Pearce in the halves are a threat for Catalans

At full-back, the England international is the first part of a formidable spine, and a major component in the Dragons' offensive structure.

"Tomkins is key," said Henderson, the former Warrington assistant coach. "He's pivotal. If you watch how they attack, wherever Tomkins is, generally that's where the ball is going.

"But it's not just his attacking game and where he's going to chime into the line, defensively he marshals his troops well, and he's just an inspirational figure for that team. He's such a competitor.

"Sometimes you might see him in a game and think that he's not contributing much, but it's the effect he's having on those players around him. It's his energy and his presence."

Yet for Brown, himself an elite level playmaker during his career, it's the twin threat of halves Josh Drinkwater and Mitchell Pearce who offer the best chance of breaking the game open.

"The one thing I'd worry about [if I was Saints] is the pivots," he continued. "When Drinkwater and Mitchell Pearce played well together they really exposed Warrington - and that was without Sam Tomkins.

"For Saints, the gameplan is - let's just focus on ourselves and be really aggressive in defence.

"As a half-back you're always thinking about how to get around a team or go through a team, but the line speed from Saints, from both edges and through the middle, it just cuts your time down.

"It almost opens up a kick [option], but if you're kick happy, Saints will be quite happy with that too.

"I just know it's going to be a terrific game."

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