Super League: Catalan Dragons prove too hot for Hull FC
Catalan Dragons saw off in-form Hull with a comfortable 30-4 victory in the south of France.
Last Updated: 08/06/13 7:08pm
The Black and Whites arrived in Perpignan on the back of a run of nine wins from 10 games, but defeat serves as a timely reminder to Peter Gentle's side that nothing is won in the mid-season, while it also gives Catalan a possible edge ahead of the Challenge Cup quarter-final between the two sides next month.
Hull - who had regulars Tom Briscoe, Mark O'Meley and Ben Galea missing - were made to feel the pinch early on as Freddie Vaccari nipped in at the corner.
Thomas Bosc, deputising for Scott Dureau in the halves and as a kicker, added the extras but Hull hit back instantly as Tom Lineham, their on-song winger, dotted down.
Daniel Holdsworth was unable to add the extras, though, and while they did not know it at the time, that was the end of Hull's scoring.
Morgan Escare, the full-back who has illuminated Super League so much in his breakthrough season, added a second score when he spied a gap and went for it, before sloppy play from the visitors presented Vincent Duport with a chance he did not pass up.
With Bosc faultless with the boot, the lead edged out to 18-4 at the break and shortly after it the Dragons touched down for a fourth time.
Hull did not help themselves by kicking out on the full from the restart and destructive forward Kevin Larroyer smashed his way through the middle of them.
Bosc again added the two points and when Duport repeated his earlier trick with seven minutes remaining, it rounded things off and gave Bosc the chance to finish with five goals from as many attempts.
