Super League: Catalans Dragons 36-6 Hull KR: Hosts go top with dominant win
- Published
Super League: Catalans Dragons impress in big win over Hull KR
Betfred Super League |
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Catalans (26) 36 |
Tries: McIlorum, Ikuvalu, Davies, Dezaria, Fages, Johnstone, Sims Goals: Mourgue 4 |
Hull KR (6) 6 |
Tries: Burgess Goals: Reynolds |
Catalans Dragons moved to the top of Super League with a dominant seven-try win over Hull KR.
Micky McIlorum put the hosts in front after six minutes but the Robins quickly replied through Joe Burgess.
The hosts then took control, scoring four more tries, including an excellent finish from Tom Davies, to lead 26-6 at half-time.
Dragons scored two late tries through Tom Johnstone and Tariq Sims as Rovers were kept scoreless in the second half.
Les Dracs have now won their last eight home meetings with Hull KR, with Rovers' last away victory against them on 31 August 2019.
It was the perfect response to French side's surprise heavy home defeat in the Challenge Cup against Huddersfield last weekend.
Catalans opened the scoring as McIlorum burrowed over after Hull KR, without the injured Mikey Lewis, made an error to gift the hosts possession.
But the lead lasted only five minutes as the visitors responded strongly when Burgess spun out of a tackle to score in the corner, with Ben Reynolds' conversion levelling matters at 6-6.
The hosts regained the advantage on 18 minutes with a slick move which saw Davies collect a looping pass before accelerating into space and feeding Matt Ikuvalu to cross the whitewash.
Davies then took centre stage with an excellent one-handed finish, acrobatically leaping into the corner to dot down with defenders rushing across to tackle him.
With the confidence flowing, Catalans began to dominate and Jordan Dezaria's close range score was followed by another excellent team move which was finished off by Theo Fages to give the hosts a commanding 26-6 half-time lead.
The break did the Robins good and they came out with more impetus in the second period but could find no way through the Catalans' resolute defence.
Hull KR were then reduced to 12 on 56 minutes when Matty Storton was yellow-carded for a tackle which put pressure on the neck of Johnstone.
The Dragons winger was able to stay on the pitch to score his side's sixth try - and the first points of the second half - ten minutes before full-time before Tariq Sims rounded off the scoring by charging down a kick and dribbling the ball over the line to dot down.
Defeat ends the Robins' three-match winning streak and they stay fifth on 10 points - four points behind their opponents and new Super League leaders Catalans.
Catalans: Mourgue, Davies, Romano, Ikuvalu, Johnstone, Rouge, Fages, Bousquet, McIlorum, Navarrete, Sims, McMeeken, Garcia.
Interchanges: Nikorima, Sironen, Satae, Dezaria.
Hull KR: Evalds, Burgess, Hiku, Opacic, Hall, Reynolds, May, Whitbread, Litten, King, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella.
Interchanges: Parcell, Luckley, Storton, Tanginoa.