Catalans Dragons 41 Castleford Tigers 22: Catalans always in control as Tigers wilt in the heat

Castleford Tigers' Joel Monaghan. Picture by Simon Hulme

Catalans Dragons made it a delightful double over the Easter period after they convincingly beat Castleford Tigers in Perpignan.

Having won at Salford on Friday, Catalans ran in seven tries to see off an under-manned Castleford, who themselves had beaten Leeds Rhinos in their last outing.

The impressive Todd Carney scored twice for Catalans, as did Morgan Escare on what was a memorable first appearance of the season.

Backing up from their gruelling win over Leeds last Thursday was always going to be tough for Daryl Powell’s hit-and-miss team and that proved to be the case.

Carney’s long pass to Jodie Broughton got them going for the afternoon, the winger pushing aside Jy Hitchcox to score in the corner.

Castleford did respond, Luke Gale’s grubber kick sitting up for Greg Minikin who did the rest, but Louis Anderson’s 15-metre dart to the line kept the home side in command.

A third home try followed as Carney scooped up a loose ball to go the distance, leaving Minikin in his wake, but quick scores from first Minikin and then Joel Monaghan kept Castleford in the game.

However, the pressure of the home side would prove too much and just before the break a clever offload from Vincent Duport found Escare, who nipped in.

Cas lost the free-scoring Denny Solomona to injury at half-time and were then handed a further blow as Escare rounded Ryan Hampshire to extend his side’s lead.

In the heat of the south of France, the Tigers were trying to keep pace but when Glenn Stewart stripped Hitchcox of possession it led to Carney spying a hole which he went through for his second.

Hooker Paul Aiton then went in off Thomas Bosc’s flick, but to Castleford’s credit they at kept going until the final minute and they were rewarded for their endeavour when Monaghan snagged his 150th try in the English game late on.

Catalans Dragons: Escare, Broughton, Gigot, Duport, Yaha, Carney, Bosc, Taylor, Pelissier, Bousquet, Anderson, Stewart, Mounis. Substitutes: Aiton, Casty, Baitieri, Mason.

Castleford Tigers: Solomona, Monaghan, Crooks, Minikin, Hitchcox, Hampshire, Gale, Lynch, Milner, Boyle, Webster, McMeeken, Massey. Substitutes: Millington, McShane, Maher, T. Holmes.

Referee: Ben Thaler (RFL).