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Tigers slip to another home defeat
HOMESICK Castleford Tigers suffered another dose of Jungle fever, going down 22-20 to Les Catalans Dragons in a thriller last night.
Tigers raced into a 10-0 lead after seven minutes, but were pegged back as Dragons levelled the scores by the break.
Cas hit the front again soon after half-time, but Dragons rallied to open an eight point lead and then held on through the hosts' grandstand finish.
Referee Ian Smith was at the centre of attention, awarding Dragons two controversial tries, while Cas had two touchdowns ruled out by video official Phil Bentham.
It looked like being Cas' day early on, after Catalans bombed the first chance.
Casey McGuire's pass sent Cyrille Gossard into open space. He had support on either side, but was wrapped up by Michael Shenton, then Jean Philippe Baile spilled the ball on the final tackle on the opposite flank.
It proved a 16 point turnaround as instead of finding themselves 6-0 up, Dragons were 10-0 down moments later.
Firstly, on three minutes, defender Steven Bell dropped Rangi Chase's high kick under pressure from Shenton and Brett Ferres patted the ball down, Bentham giving the green light.
Tigers were awarded a penalty in the set from the re-start, setting field position for impressive full-back Richard Owen to dash over from Sione Faumuina's pass, beating Bell's attempted tackle and taking Jason Crocker over the line with his for a try which was converted by Kirk Dixon.
Dragons missed a chance to respond when Crocker dropped Adam Mogg's flat pass close to the line, in Michael Wainwright's tackle, but they did get points on the board at the end of the first quarter.
Thomas Bosc was hugely influential for Catalans and his long pass found Baile, who put Dimitri Pelo over. There was a suggestion of a double movement, but Smith gave the try and Bosc converted superbly from the touchline.
Eight minutes later the French side were level as quick handling across the line – by McGuire, Mogg and Bosc – caught the defence out and Baile went over for an unconverted try at the corner.
Cas thought they had got back in front five minutes before the break, but Bentham ruled against them.
Chase, Ryan McGoldrick and Joe Westerman linked to feed Owen, who dived over at the corner.
Smith handed the decision on and Bentham decided that the full-back had grounded the ball just short – in opposite number Clint Greenshields' tackle – and had then knocked-on.
Tigers were gifted a four point start to the second-half. Baile dropped the kick-off and Dragons were caught offside following the resulting scrum. With Dixon off the field injured, Westerman kicked Cas back in front.
Bosc kicked the re-start out on the full, then Gossard tackled McGoldrick around the head, Westerman landing another penalty to make it 14-10 after 45 minutes.
Bentham denied Tigers a second time on 49 minutes, when he ruled Shenton hadn't got the ball down from Faumuina's grubber kick.
Cas must have been starting to think it wasn't their day when Dragons scored almost immediately, following a mistake by Wainwright; Greenshields leaping to touch down from a kick by Bosc, whose conversion edged the visitors two points ahead.
Smith's decision to again award the try – without asking his video assistant to check if Greenshields was onside – infuriated the home support.
Something finally went Tigers' way with 16 minutes left, when Bentham ruled David Ferriol had been held up over the Cas line, before Pelo knocked on a few metres out.
But a couple of minutes later Chase was penalised – harshly it seemed – for not playing the ball correctly deep inside Catalans territory.
In the subsequent set Bosc and Baile linked to send Dane Carlaw dashing over and Bosc's conversion made it 22-14.
Dragons could have wrapped it up with seven minutes left when Carlaw went over again, but Baile's pass was forward.
Cas forced a drop out on the counter-attack, then McGoldrick, Chase and Widders linked to send Owen over. Bentham gave the okay and Westerman cut the gap to two with a conversion off the touchline.
Chase then gave Cas chance to win it with a superb 40-20 kick, but Greenshields' sensational tackle halted a rampaging Craig Huby and Dragons held on.
CASTLEFORD TIGERS: Owen, Wainwright, Shenton, Widders, Dixon, Faumuina, McGoldrick, Sargent, Chase, Huby, Ferres, Jones, Westerman. Subs (all used) Clayton, Higgins, Boyle, Netherton.
LES CATALANS DRAGONS: Greenshields, Bell, Baile, Crocker, Pelo, Mogg, Bosc, Ferriol, McGuire, Guisset, Elima, Gossard, Carlaw. Subs (all used) Casty, Mounis, Ryles, Perry.
REFEREE: Ian Smith (Oldham)
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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