Super League: Catalan Dragons roar back to see of Bradford Bulls
Catalan Dragons came from behind at home for the third time this season to score a 30-10 Super League win over Bradford.
Last Updated: 23/03/13 9:06pm
The home side trailed 10-0 early on but managed to get themselves back into the game just before the break and run out convincing winners.
Bradford opening the scoring with a well worked move as the ball was sent right and John Bateman drew in the defence to create an overlap. His offload to Elliott Whitehead was impressive, but Whitehead's to Elliot Kear was outstanding and the Welsh international went over in the corner.
Jamie Foster added the touchline conversion to give the visitors an early six-point-lead, which they extended to 10-0 on the half-hour.
A high Thomas Bosc kick was taken cleanly by Brett Kearney and the full-back raced clear, brought to ground by a last-gasp tackle from Jason Baitieri.
The ball was sent wide to the right to John Bateman who set Whitehead free down the right edge and was tackled metres from the line by Morgan Escaré. However, Whitehead's ball-carrying elbow did not hit the ground and he managed to get the offload back to Bateman, who scored in the right corner despite the best efforts of Olivier Elima.
The home side got themselves back into the game with a try six minutes before the break from Julian Bousquet, the big prop powering his way over from Bosc's pass. Bosc adding the conversion to see his team trailing by four points at half-time.
One-sided affair
The second half was a one-sided affair, with Catalans having all the ball and running in five unanswered tries.
Ten minutes after the restart a Bosc kick through on the last tackle forced a goalline drop out for Bradford. From it, two drives from Elima and one from Michael Simon gave Leon Pryce the platform to send Louis Anderson through the smallest of gaps in the Bradford defence and the Kiwi back-rower scored 10 metres in from the left touchline to level the scores.
Bosc missed the goal attempt but from the restart the Catalans got on a roll. Casty, and Pryce set up field position to set Escaré away and the full-back sprinted away for a debut try which gave the Catalans the lead.
Bosc added the extras and on the hour a Foster pass inside only found Damien Blanch, who set up a move which ended with Daryl Millard scampering away to score - despite Whitehead's best efforts and a delay from the video referee - and stretch the lead to 20-10.
It was 24-10 when Henderson drew the cover defence and offloaded to the supporting Zeb Taia to go over under the posts - and Bosc stretched that to 26-10 with his boot.
And the scoring was completed with eight minutes remaining. Elima went close and from the play the ball Pryce looped around it to take the ball and squeeze his way over, rounding off a satisfying comeback from the Dragons.