Game

Catalans Dragons vs Bradford Bulls

REPORT

Catalans Dragons mounted an astonishing second-half fightback to send Bradford Bulls crashing out of the Challenge Cup in Perpignan on Sunday.

The French side had looked dead and buried early in the second half of their fourth round tie as Bradford dominated from the start, scoring five tries without reply.

But in a remarkable 26 minute spell after the break Catalans ran in seven of their own to end the game 40-38 and send the visitors packing with their tails firmly between their legs.

The Bulls, the only side to maintain a 100 percent record in France, looked to be cruising into the last 16 after storming into a 26-0 lead by the 43rd minute.

Steve McNamara's men were in a different class during a one-sided first half that brought tries from Paul Sykes, Semi Tadulalam, Rikki Sheriffe and Matt Cook.

Catalans looked in total disarray as Bradford ran riot at the Stade Gilbert Brutus and when Menzies added a fifth try early in the second half it looked like a rout was on the cards.

But the Dragons suddenly woke and immediately began to breathe fire, scoring four tries in a devastating 14-minute spell to cut the gap to just four points.

The first came courtesy a superb offload from skipper Greg Bird to put Olivier Elima over. The prop was followed by full-back Clint Greenshields, stand-off Thomas Bosc and a second from Elima as Bradford reeled in the face of the onslaught.

Tadulala grabbed a second for the visitors after latching onto a Ben Jeffries high kick. But centre Jean Phillippe Baille and Bosc replied in rapid succession to put the hosts in front for the first time.

Bradford appeared to self-destruct when, on 71 minutes, full-back Michael Platt offloaded from a three-man tackle behind his own line, gifting a try to substitute Cyril Gossard.

Bosc put the French side eight points clear with his sixth goal of the match which proved enough of a buffer to stave off a desperate Bradford fightback in the closing stages.

A penalty try for a high tackle on substitute winger Dave Halley closed the gap but time eventually ran out for the Bulls.

POST-MATCH COMMENTS

Catalans coach Kevin Walters:

"At 26-0 you never stop believing but I knew it was getting harder. We needed a bit of luck but we got that and then the players were just brilliant."

"I'm really pleased for them and the fans. They've been so good for the last six or seven weeks and they all deserved what happened here."

"We knew if we were to have any chance in that second half, Thomas Bosc had to stand up. And, to his credit, he did and he was fantastic. David Ferriol really stood up too."

"We've got so much confidence from this win and hopefully that will all go to Harlequins on Thursday back in Super League.

"It can't come quick enough now."

Bradford coach Steve McNamara:

"It's probably as much as we've hurt ever right at this moment in time."

"We blew the game at the end and it was poor for the last 35 minutes."

"We'd controlled up to then and I'd hoped we have learned some lessons from last week (the defeat at Castleford) but we didn't apply them here."