Catalan Dragons 38 Leeds Rhinos 18: Catalan thwart Leeds’s attempted fightback

The Dragons were in control at half-time thanks to tries from Sebastien Raguin, Vaccari and Damien Blanch, with Leeds’s reply coming from Ryan Hall.

Steve Menzies scored at the start of the second half before Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Danny Buderus put Leeds on the comeback trail but Clint Greenshields, Vincent Duport and Vaccari ensured the hosts remained in control.

Leeds slipped down to eighth, sixth points behind their fifth-placed opponents.

The hosts led after Scott Dureau kicked to the left touchline, Raguin juggled the ball but gathered to score. Dureau goaled.

Leeds took advantage of a penalty for holding to level, Brent Webb’s long ball allowing Hall a free run to the line. Kevin Sinfield adding the conversion. Leeds were then penalised at the play-the-ball, Dureau kicking the penalty to put the hosts back in front.

Another penalty resulted in Dureau and Menzies combining to send in Vaccari. Dureau goaled.

Without Leeds touching the ball, Catalan went over again through Blanch, the video referee ruling in the hosts’ favour. Dureau goaled.

Just after the break, Menzies found a gap in the Leeds defence, going through some flimsy tackling to touch down. Dureau failed with his conversion attempt but the home side led 24-6.

Dureau added another penalty, before Brett Delaney was sinbinned for a late challenge but Leeds grew in confidence, and Jones-Buchanan went over.

Delaney then went through a gap in the Dragons defence, drew full-back Greenshields, and offloaded to the supporting Buderus, who touched down between the posts.

Sinfield converted both efforts to narrow the gap to eight points but moments later Jamie Peacock spilled the ball and, on the last tackle, Dureau reversed the direction of attack and Greenshields scored.

Dureau failed to add the extras but Duport then went over on his second Catalan debut when Leeds were again penalised. Dureau missed the conversion, as he did when Vaccari touched down in the left corner.

Catalan Dragons: Greenshields, Blanch, Dupport, Millard, Vaccari, Menzies, Dureau, Casty, Henderson, Baitieri, Paea, Raguin, Mounis. Substitutes: Gossard, Simon, Pelissier, Ancely.

Leeds Rhinos: Webb, Jones-Bishop, Ablett, Smith, Hall, Sinfield, McGuire, Leuluai, Buderus, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Clarkson. Substitutes: Bailey, Kirke, Hauraki, McShane.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury).