Catalans comeback stuns Quins

Justin Murphy scored two tries and Stacey Jones kicked 14 points as Catalans Dragons recovered from 12-0 down to claim an emphatic 38-18 victory over Harlequins at Stade Aime Giral.


The hosts were looking to avoid their third consecutive defeat and started the game second bottom of engage Super League while Quins were aiming to put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.


But it was the visitors who took control from the start, easing into a 12-0 lead with only 11 minutes on the clock.


Nick Bradley-Qalilawa scored the first try after just two minutes which Henry Paul converted before Karl Temata went over nine minutes later with Paul again supplying the conversion.

However, the Dragons hit back with three quickfire tries in the space of seven minutes through Murphy, Gregory Mounis and Bruno Verges - all successfully converted by Jones - to take an 18-12 lead.

Jones then scored a penalty goal as the hosts went in at half-time 20-12 to the good.
Murphy claimed his second try with Jones again successfully converting, before Quins pair Mark McLinden and Daniel Williams were sin-binned in the 60th and 63rd minute.

With the visitors down to 11 men, Catalans scored twice more through Aurelien Cologni and Mark Hughes while Jones maintained his 100% kicking record to give the Dragons a 38-12 lead.

Quins pulled one back seven minutes from time through Tyrone Smith with Paul converting to reduce the deficit to 38-18.

The victory saw the Dragons pull level on points with Wakefield Wildcats, although the Yorkshire side remain ahead on points difference, and just one point behind Castleford and visitors Harlequins.

The London side have now won just one of their last four fixtures adding extra significance to their next two fixtures against rock-bottom Wigan and Castleford.

Catalans Dragons (20) 38.
Tries: Murphy 2, Mounis, Verges, Cologni, Hughes. Goals: Jones 7.


Harlequins RL (12) 18.
Tries: Bradley-Qalilawa, Temata, Smith. Goals: Paul 3.


Catalans Dragons: Guigue, Murphy, Wilson, Hughes, Verges, Rudder, Jones, Beattie, Cologni, Fellous, Guisset, Fakir, Mounis.
Replacements: Berthezene, Frayssinous, Chan, Casty.


Harlequins RL: McLinden, Wells, Lucky Luisi, Smith, Bradley-Qalilawa, Paul, Dorn, Tookey, Randall, Temata, Haumono, Purdham, Williams.
Replacements: Budworth, Mills, Heckenberg, Weisner.


Referee: S Clark (Australia)

Att: 4,197


Source: www.superleague.co.uk