Super League: Hull KR 8-20 Catalans Dragons - Dragons' second-half comeback clinches win

Fouad Yaha's flying finish helped Catalans overcome Hull KR in the second half

An impressive Catalans Dragons comeback sucker-punched Hull KR, who lost their third Super League game in a row.

Robins' Ben Crooks rose highest from a lobbed kick to open the scoring, before Catalans wing Tom Davies finished neatly in the corner to make it 8-4.

The visitors were rampant in the second half, with centre Mathieu Laguerre running 80 metres to score.

Second-placed Dragons' victory keeps the pressure on leaders St Helens, with the gap reduced to two points.

The hosts started with great energy as Rowan Milnes lofted a ball in towards a retreating defence, which Crooks seemed to take by surprise as he got up to grab the ball and crash over the line.

Lachlan Coote converted cleanly and then extended the lead to 8-0 through a penalty with 10 minutes gone after Catalans were caught offside.

Then came the Dragons' response, as a quick disguised pass from Tyrone May created an opportunity for Davies on the right, with the video referee needed to confirm that he had squeezed the ball home under pressure from a last-ditch tackle.

The second half began in extraordinary fashion as Laguerre intercepted a Robins attack and raced the length of the field to go over unchallenged.

Moments later, Sam Tomkins' outside pass was acrobatically finished by Yaha, who evaded a tackle and gave his team breathing space at 14-8.

Mourgue scored two penalties to increase the Dragons advantage as both teams looked tired in the closing stages, with knocks to Matt Storton and Tom Dagger affecting Hull's ability to make changes.

Hull KR head coach Tony Smith:

"With 25 minutes to go, we had one sub available against a big team.

"We were courageous in the amount of time some of them stayed on the field.

"It was a bit of a war of attrition and they wore us down but our guys hung on right to the death.

"There was loads of encouragement. I thought we were very spirited and we had a little bit more enterprise in our play."

Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara:

"Hull KR made it hard work for us and we made it hard for ourselves.

"Our completion rate was awful in the first half and our kicking game was poor into the wind.

"You have to find a different way to win. The key for us is stopping teams scoring tries.

"When you're not playing well and you can do that, you've a chance of winning games."

Hull KR: Coote, Ryan, Crooks, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Dagger, Milnes, Maher, Litten, King, Hadley, Johnson, Minchella.

Interchanges: Vete, Storton, Keinhorst, Halton.

Catalans: Tomkins, Davies, May, Laguerre, Yaha, Pearce, Mourgue, Napa, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Jullien, Garcia.

Interchanges: Dudson, Goudemand, Dezaria, Kasiano.

Referee: Tom Grant

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