Faster, stronger physically and animated by a big determination, Leigh players made their back before taking over the Catalan dragons (26-24). The Dracs to find the keys to the reaction next Saturday against Hull Kr to go to Wembley for the third time in their history.
The Catalans once again alternated the very good, the good and the least good. Large empty passages that cost them the gain in the game. And it is not the disputed arbitral decisions at the end of the match that would have changed or reversed the situation. Leigh was stronger over time, thicker too and above all faster. The pair of second lines of 25 years Owen Trout – Ethan O’Neill gave a lesson. Youth in power, like Ben McNamara (23), author of his best match in the colors of the Leopards. Another striking fact, the option chosen by Adrian Lam to play with three heels at the same time between McNamara – Ipape and Dwyer. Clearly, Leigh deserves its place in the top 4 of the Super League.
The Catalans are not there, they are not far away, but today they have left the table of the big ones. The positive sign among the Dracs revolves around the performances chained by Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet and by the contribution of Luke Keary in the game. To Steve McNamara to find the right dosage so that the center left, Reimis Smith-the most dangerous of blood and gold with the ball-can be expressed more.
The figures speak for themselves
22 playing channels completed only on the 35 in their possession, 41 missed tackles, 12 errors and 4 penalties whistled against them. Look no further. The dragons did everything to not win. And all this despite a remarkable start-up in terms of content with 12-0 after 15 minutes and especially private munition Leigh players and forced to defend. The release of Benjamin Garcia (21st) also disturbed the rotations, where Tevita Pangai is the pillar who played the most (49), ahead of Julian Bousquet, Chris Satae (40) and Romain Navarrete (31). The Satae-Pangai tandem swells its playing time and the solution may also be around these two “big” which can chain and repeat the efforts.
Put order in the heads
The Catalan dragons left Newcastle by being terribly frustrated. Frustrated to have let the two points of the match escape. But this team does not have time to mourns. Make way for the Cup semi-final which is the big meeting of the season. A Challenge Cup final awaits the winner Hull KR – Catalan Dragons (Saturday 4 p.m. in York). “We only think about that and we can now say it and focus only on this goal” reacted the hooker Alrix da Costa. And to reach their goal, the Dracs will pass the whole preparation together. “It is a mini-camp that we organized to avoid a round trip, fatigue, promote recovery and make players think of nothing other than rugby” explained Coach McNamara. A coach who hopes to be able to count on his captain Benjamin Garcia (adductors). “We are going to do the necessary exams and I know he will work hard to play”hopes the coach who recovers from this Monday morning, the pillar Jordan Dezaria, loaned to Castleford and who played Sunday against Wakefield. Finally, the supervision hopes that Tevita Pagai Junior will not be sanctioned for its tackle at the very end of the match on its opposite which was on the ground.
The Super League has paused the space of a weekend. It is up to the Catalans to shake up the lines and create the feat against Robins great favorites, but far from being unbeatable.
